


It's taken so long, but sweetheart, I'm glad to be here

by sunfl0w3r



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Ben is a graphic designer, Bev and Richie are internet friends, Bev is a fashion designer, Bill and Eddie live together, Bill is a novellist, Eddie is 18, Eddie is a mechanic, Eddie is a youtuber, F/M, Georgie is alive!, M/M, Mike lives with his girlfriend, Mostly Fluff, No Smut, Not a texting fic but there's some texting, Reddie, Richie is a huge fan, Richie is a radio show host, Slow Burn, Stan is an editor, Stan lives with his parents for now, They also live together, This is kinda trash don't mind me, This takes place in California
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 18:44:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 28,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14142210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunfl0w3r/pseuds/sunfl0w3r
Summary: Eddie is a semi-popular youtuber who lives in an apartment in LA with his best friend, Bill. Richie is a nobody who just moved to Colorado last year with hopes of becoming a comedian. He met his best friend, Bev, on the internet in middle school, but they have never actually met face to face (as of the beginning of the story). Without her, he would be nowhere near what he is now. Without her, Eddie would never have known he existed.Lol I suck at writing summaries oops





	1. Neon

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is my first work, so don't be too harsh when reading this. I have a general plan for how this story is gonna go but I still have no idea what I'm doing. Hope you guys like it... :)
> 
> Also, the tags don't apply immediately to the story. So yep.
> 
> This consists of ten different chapters in one big chapter, so • • • is where the chapter ends.
> 
> I'm a bit lazy so if you see anything like /this/ just pretend it's in italics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is written from Richie's perspective, it takes place at different times over a few years. Originally this was written out as 10 individual chapters, but I like it better this way. • • • marks the end of each mini chapter within this chapter. Also, no offense to BTS lovers in the beginning. Actually, no offense to anyone at any point in this, Richie will be Richie.

April 4th, 2014

\--------------------------------

3:49 am  
@mywangislongertha : does anyone here like BTS

3:51 am  
@josie : um... yea?

3:51 am  
@mywangislongertha : fuck you. They suck, and not in a good way

3:58 am  
@bev : lol

3:58 am  
@bev : why the hell are u awake

4:01 am  
@mywangislongertha : ur mom kept me up all night

4:03 am  
@bev : fuk you

4:03 am  
@mywangislongertha : nah actually I was fucking her

4:04 am  
@mywangislongertha : why r u awake? Hypocrite

4:05 am  
@bev : couldn't sleep

4:05 am  
@mywangislongertha : nice.

4:05 am  
@bev : nice.

4:06 am  
@bev : what is ur username supposed to say

4:06 am  
@mywangislongertha : my wang is longer than my username

4:07 am  
@bev : oh lol

 

\--------------------------------

 

4:19 am  
@bev : hey where did josie go

4:20 am  
@mywangislongertha : 420 AYY

4:20 am  
@bev : AYYY

4:21 am  
@mywangislongertha : and idk. I don't rlly care tho *shrugs*

4:21 am  
@bev : ah mk

4:23 am  
@mywangislongertha : well. Ur mom really tired me out. Ima hit the hay

4:23 am  
@mywangislongertha : nighty night

4:23 am  
@bev : night

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie smiled, locking his phone with a soft sigh. His brown eyes quickly adjusted to the sudden darkness, as the glowing screen of his phone had been the only source of light in his shadowy bedroom. Slowly, he reached over, setting his phone on the cluttered little table beside his bed. Richie pulled of his thick, bottle cap glasses, setting them beside his phone. With a soft huff, he let himself fall back onto the mattress of his bed, blinking up to the dark ceiling for a few minutes before he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep with a small smile tugging at his chapped lips.

 

\--------------------------------

 

April 5th, 2014

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie's phone buzzed against the wood of the wood of the table where it had been placed, the vibrating only amplified by the hollowed out surface. The noise cut into the silence of the room, startling Richie out of his light sleep. Richie lay on his stomach in bed, face buried in his pillow. A muffled groan escaped him as he squeezed his eyes further shut, willing his damm phone to silence itself. Much to his dismay, it kept buzzing, relentlessly beating his eardrums as he regained consciousness. The boy stuck out am arm, fumbling blindly as he searched for the buzzing menace that had so rudely interrupted his much needed sleep. As soon as his fingers had made contact with his phone, he swiped it off the table, and it went careening to the floor with a satisfying crash, followed by joyful silence.

"Take that, asshole..." he muttered, face still pressing into his pillow.

After a few moments, he thought better of his action, taking a moment to consider the possible outcomes that might ensue sending his phone plummeting to the ground. Richie pushed himself into a sitting position, squinting as sunlight flooded his eyes. With a soft curse, he grabbed his glasses, pushing them onto his freckled nose. The lanky boy blinked a few times, relishing as his useless eyes regained their ability to decipher shapes. Running a hand through his unruly brown curls, he bent over, grabbing his phone from the floor. Richie looked down the intact screen, a soft sigh of relief escaping him. "Thank fuck..." he muttered, pressing the home button.

Richie blinked down at the screen, noticing the missed call from Stanley The Manley. With a huff, he unlocked his phone, opening his call app, and clicked on his missed call. It took only three rings before Stan picked up, his voice as expressionless as ever on the line.

"Richie."

"Stan, you son of a bitch. I was in the middle of a very important phone-fucking session with your mom. I was so close!" Richie could almost hear Stan roll his eyes.

"Mike and I are going to the lake."

"At nine in the morning?"

"No, you idiot. Ask your mom. We're meeting at twelve." The dial tone cut Richie off before he could respond, ringing dully in his ears.

Richie sighed softly, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, Stan," he muttered, voice quiet as he rolled onto his back, letting himself sink into his blankets with a huff. Pursing his lips lightly, he dropped his phone beside himself on his bed, closing his eyes once more.

 

\--------------------------------

 

After three minutes of silence, Richie's need to be doing something got the better of him, pushing him out of bed. Richie landed on the floor with a soft thud. The boy walked to his closet, gracefully stepping over an alarming amount of clothes, crumpled papers and trash strewn across his floor. Upon reaching his closet, Richie grabbed a shirt and pants, not really caring what they were or if they matched. After pulling them on, Richie glanced in the mirror, taking pride as he took in the sight his grey joggers, which he had so artfully paired with a floral-knit pullover, something not unlike what a grandmother might wear. These, he had matched with checkered vans, and orange knee socks covered in cacti. Richie glanced up, taking note of his high, freckle-dusted cheekbones and deep-set eyes, which were magnified to nearly double their regular size by his huge glasses. A messy nest of inky black curls clung to his head, and he ran a hand through it, not seeing the point in actually brushing it.

As a kid, Richie had been awkward, not growing into his lanky limbs or defined features. His glasses were far too big for his face, and his teeth were large. But now, Richie had finally started to adjust to his body in all its fourteen-year-old glory. People who had scorned and bullied him now admired him, girls blushed as he came their way. Not that that mattered though, he was gay.

The quiet buzz of Richie's phone caught his attention, and he turned, stepping over to it. On the screen, a notification flashed.

9:45 am  
@bev : hey there, Mr. "my wang is bigger than my ego"

A soft laugh escaped Richie, and he swiped on the notification, unlocking his phone to get to his DMs

9:45 am  
@mywangislongertha : what's up, bevvsy

9:46 am  
@bev : the sky

9:46 am  
@mywangislongertha : I'll tell you what's up

9:46 am  
@bev : no

9:46 am  
@bev : I think not

9:46 am  
@bev : don't make me block you

9:47 am  
@bev : I'd rather not I actually like you

9:47 am  
@mywangislongertha : ok ok

9:47 am  
@mywangislongertha : i won't

9:48 am  
@bev : excellent

9:50 am  
@mywangislongertha : wait

9:50 am  
@mywangislongertha : was that a complement??

9:51 am  
@bev : ...

9:51 am  
@bev : maybe...

9:51 am  
@mywangislongertha : awwwwwww

9:52 am  
@mywangislongertha : I love u too bevvy boo

 

\--------------------------------

 

10:17 am  
@mywangislongertha : wyd

10:23 am  
@bev : youtube

10:23 am  
@bev : what else could I possibly be doing

10:24 am  
@mywangislongertha : eh tru

10:24 am  
@mywangislongertha : what r u watching

10:26 am  
@bev : Eddie K

10:26 am  
@bev : he's cute

10:26 am  
@mywangislongertha : ooh tell me more

10:27 am  
@bev : um

10:27 am  
@bev : idk

10:28 am  
@bev : um just look him up

10:28 am  
@bev : he's kinda just starting out but he's great

10:29 am  
@mywangislongertha : okie

\--------------------------------

Richie pressed the home button, opening YouTube with a soft hum. The boy tapped the search bar, typing in a quick search for 'Eddie K'.

Several results popped up, the first being a circular profile picture, showing the face of a young teenage boy, looking to be around Richie's age. Freckles were scattered across his round face, highlighting his cheekbones and standing out against his tan skin. Deep-set eyes were fringed with thick eyelashes, warm brown irises shining brightly. Copper streaks glistened in the boy's chestnut hair, which was pushed neatly out of his face. The strands were just barely wavy, but meticulously styled.

Richie had only one thought as he clicked on the icon, scanning the videos that unfurled in the profile.

Damm. Bev wasn't lying when she said this guy was cute.

 

\--------------------------------

 

The boy (Eddie) looked straight into the camera, lips pursed thoughtfully. The shot showed only from his shoulders up, but from what Richie could see, he was wearing pale blue overalls over a pastel pink shirt. His hair was swept artistically out of his face, a few curls neatly tucked behind his ear. After a moment of looking into the camera, he glanced away, humming softly.

"Well." His voice was quiet, not high pitched yet not quite average. It rang softly in the quiet room, musical. Eddie looked back into the camera, shrugging. "I guess I need to figure out an intro."

The screen cut, flashing a brick wall. On it was a neon sign, the loopy lettering reading 'Eddie K' in bluish-green light. The faint sound of buzzing filtered through Richie's microphone as the neon flickered, before turning back off. After a moment, the screen cut again to Eddie's face, looking down to something off screen.

"What are the benefits of having an overprotective mom?" He looked back into the camera, a serious expression on his face. The boy paused for a moment, a thoughtful light gleaming in his large eyes. "Honestly? There are none. I don't really have anything to compare it to but..." Eddie shrugged again, glancing away. The camera cut again; this time Eddie was at the side of the screen.

"Hey mom, can I go to the beach with Bill?" At this, the camera cut, then Eddie was on the opposite side of the screen. There were no obvious changes in his appearance, but he was slightly more slouched, eyes narrowed. Overall, there was just a general aura of discomfort. Richie thought that Eddie's mom must not be such a nice person to be around, let alone live with.

"Oh, sweetie. You know how bad the sun is for your skin. If you don't put enough sunscreen on, you could skin cancer!" Eddie's voice was slightly higher, a bit nasally. "And oh!" A short gasp punctuated his words, his eyes widening slightly. "That water has so many diseases! And you know how that Japanese nuclear plant is leaking into the ocean! Radioactive exposure could kill you, Eddie-bear!"

Eddie blinked into the camera, centre-screen once again. With a light shrug, he glanced down, lifting a hand to run his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah." After a moment, he looked back up. "She didn't let me go to the beach, by the way. Actually, she doesn't let me go outside. That's why I'm so pale."

"But Mommy, I need vitamin d! The sun is good for me!" Eddie was at the side of the screen once more, looking over to where his mother would be.

"No, Eddie. The air here is so foggy and full of chemicals. So many people here smoke! You could get lung cancer, or God knows what!" Eddie's mom was back, her eyes wide with terror as she looked up at her son.

The camera cut again, returning Eddie to his original spot in the screen, looking into the camera. He was quiet for a second, a thoughtful look on his face. "It's sort of true, though. The air here is kind of gross." The shot switched again, this time showing a broad city scape, most likely from Eddie's window.

Richie blinked, eyes widening slightly as he recognized the LA cityscape. Tall building stretched into sky, Their mirror-like windows reflecting the clouds. From several building, grey smoke drifted up, forming large clouds above their sources. At the side of the screen, the ocean cut off the land, close enough that crashing waves were visible as they lapped against the sand.

"See? Look at all the smoke and stuff." Eddie's voice paused, and he shivered quietly, the camera zooming in on an especially large cloud of smoke rising above a building. "Just look at all those chemicals..." The disgust was evident in his quiet voice as the camera flicked back to his face, showing the little crinkle formed between his dark eyebrows.

Richie was struck by just how fucking cute this kid was as he looked down at his phone, which lay just above his criss-crossed legs on his mattress. This boy left every single person at Richie's school in the dust, from his adorable overalls to his dreamy doe-like eyes. Every inch of Eddie was perfect, Richie was willing to swear it.

After a moment of silence, Eddie nodded to himself.

"Yeah, but I-" A muffled call came from somewhere off-screen, and Eddie blinked, eyes widening slightly. The boy leapt forwards, shutting off the camera.

The screen cut to Eddie sitting in the same spot, but this time the lighting was different, a bit harsher and more artificial than before. Richie assumed that now it was night, and Eddie was using his room lighting rather than sunlight.

Eddie chuckled softly, looking off past the camera. "Well. I guess that kinda helps prove my point."

The screen cut again, flicking black for a moment before returning back to Eddie, sitting off to the side of the screen.

"Oh Eddie! You know how bad the sun is for your skin! If you son't put enough dunscr-"  
Eddie blinked, pausing. "Oh. Shit." He turned to the camera, offering it a crooked smile as he paused it.

The screen cut again, and was filled with the cityscape of LA once more. It pulled away, and flicked down to the floor, showing a pair of meticulously cleaned red chucks as they walked across the wooden floor. Suddenly, one of them caught on the floor, sending both Eddie and the camera toppling over. The screen jolted a little, showing a neatly organized room at a sideways angle. The walls were a light blue, with a bookshelf standing against one of them. In the background, the light, musical sound of laughter filtered through Richie's microphone, and he felt his heart flutter.

Again, the camera cut, returning to the neon sign that was in Eddie's intro. Beneath it, read; THANKS FOR WATCHING!  
like and subscribe <3

 

\--------------------------------

Richie smiled softly, clicking the home button.

10:36 am  
@mywangislongertha : holy crap you're right

10:37 am  
@mywangislongertha : that boi is cuter than a fuckin basket full of kittens

10:37 am  
@bev : damn right

10:37 am  
@mywangislongertha : his fuckin laugh

10:37 am  
@mywangislongertha : I can die happy now

10:37 am  
@mywangislongertha : God take me now

10:38 am  
@mywangislongertha : I'm Richie, by the way

10:40 am  
@bev : Bev

 

\--------------------------------

"No, Stan. I don't think you understand. This boy is a literal fucking angel." Richie's expression was dead serious as he looked over to the two boys, who were stretched out above the lake on a few red rocks, basking in the warm sunlight. Stan looked skeptically over to Richie, his drying swim trunks clinging to his lanky legs. His golden hair curled over his head, falling into his narrowed grey eyes. To his left, Mike lay in the sunlight, arms crossed beneath his head. A bright smile tugged at his lips as he listened to his friends' conversation, eyes closed.

"Are you sure you didn't make him up?" Stan's voice was thick with disbelief and sarcasm as he looked over to Richie, one eyebrow raised. Richie groaned, throwing his head back in exasperation.

"I already told you! Bev told me about him, and I looked him up, and-"

"Wait a second. Who is Bev?"

"A... a-" Richie blinked, pausing. "Um. I met her... yesterday? On a website... ya know." Stan nodded, a skeptical expression on his face.

"This is really making this even more believable."

"Oh... fuck you. Just look him up!"

Stan rolled his eyes, but pulled out his phone, unlocking it in a matter of seconds. The boy opened YouTube, typing in a quick search. After a moment, he glanced up, showing Richie his phone.

"This is him?" Richie nodded excitedly, making grabby hands for Stan's phone.

"His laugh is the cutest thing ever. Lemme show you."

 

• • •

 

June 17th, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

11:06 am  
Richsta : I'm heading out now

11:06 am  
Richsta : holy fuck

11:07 am  
Richsta : I can't believe I actually get to meet u

11:07 am  
Bevvy : no shit

11:08 am  
Bevvy : I can't fuckinh wait

11:08 am  
Bevvy : you better drive safe

11:08 am  
Bevvy : if u dei before i get to meet u I'll actually reincrnate u anf kill u again

11:09 am  
Richsta : I wouldn't dream of it, Bevvy dearest

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie was fucking nervous.

For three years, he had been talking to Bev. Everyday the texted, called, facetimed. Richie had been the first person Bev texted when she got accepted into Fashion Institute for Design & Merchandising. Bev had been the first person Richie called when he got his dog, Chips for Christmas in 2016. They were best friends. If it was possible to be soulmates with someone in a non-sexual way, Richie and Bev were soulmates. Sure, Bev had a boyfriend. Ben balanced her out. Where she was loud and boisterous, he was quiet and thoughtful. Where she was angry and compulsive, he was calm and peaceful. They got along perfectly, and balanced each other out.

Ben was perfect for her, Richie had no doubt about that. He was fairly certain that Ben was Bev's soulmate. But, if Ben was her soulmate, what did that make him?

The two had such a close bond, it was uncanny. Even though they had never even met face to face, they still had an irreplaceable friendship, like that of two siblings who had grown up together. They were soultwins.

 

For years, the two had been planning to meet. But with Bev in California and Richie all the way in Colorado, they had just never gotten the chance. Now, however, Richie was packing his bags, and taking a trip up to LA.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie tossed his bag in the backseat of his rusty old truck, not really caring as it landed in what was undoubtedly a pile of trash. Usually, he tried to keep his truck clean, but between his room, his bathroom, and truck, the work (and trash) had just piled up.

But none of that mattered any more. He was going to see Bev! His one and only, his queen. His sister. His partner in crime.

 

\--------------------------------

Richie's slim fingers drummed anxiously against the steering wheel, beating to the rhythm of his blaring music. Richie shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wanting desperately to pull over so he could jump out of the car and go run in circles or something to get his energy out. He had only been in the car for two hours, but that was two hours too many.

For the first twenty minutes, Richie's enthusiasm had drowned out his need for action, and he excitedly drove out of town, making it just barely past the city limit before he began to lose interest, his need for action overtaking him, and grating against his nerves. It was remarkable that he had made it even that long before he could no longer sit still.

His right foot tapped repetitively against the floor, matching the drumming of his slim fingers as his need to do something joined with his excitement; the only thing keeping Richie from pulling over was Bev, whose voice resonated from his phone, which was resting on the dust-coated dashboard.

"Rich? Can you tu-" Bev's clear voice was losing in its battle against the music that rattled through Richie's old truck, and he turned down his music in a quick motion, then returned his hand to the steering wheel. "Thanks."

Richie nodded absently, forgetting for a moment that Bev couldn't see him. A soft chuckle rang through his phone from Bev, and he glanced towards it, a smile of his own tugging at his lips. "I can't see you, you idiot." Bev's voice was fond on line, full of affection for Richie, who glanced over towards his phone again, one eyebrow flicking up.

"Can't you, though?" Richie could hear Bev roll her eyes. A soft sigh came from the line, and he could tell that the girl was holding back another laugh.

"I don't really need to." At this, Richie shrugged, his gaze returning to the road.

"Apparently not. We just have... linked minds." Richie pursed his lips thoughtfully, looking out through the crakced windshield. Along the road was dry-looking grassland. Hills rose and fell, with fences dividing the various properties. A few horses grazed on the yellowed grass, their tails flicking back and forth in the wind. The blue sky shone down from above, grey clouds scattered across it like wisps of paint on a blank, blue canvas. Large mountains cut off the sky all around him at the edge of the horizon, carving their jagged shapes out of the sky. The bright sun shone down from behind a cloud, beating down against the already warm earth.

The road Richie on was mostly deserted; he had just passed another large city, and was slowly weaving his way through the mountains. As he neared them, they seemed to grow larger and larger, their ordinarily dark purplish-blue colour fading into greens and greys, the forms of trees now visible against their rocky surfaces. Across their peaks, a faint dusting of snow lingered, not yet melted by the harsh sunlight.

"We don't have to be linked. I've known you long enough to be able to understand what's going on in that useless brain of yours."

"Hey! This useless brain of mine got me straight a's, thank you very much!" Richie narrowed his eyes slightly, voice raising in pitch a little as he defended himself from Bev's playful teasing.

"Ok, ok. Chill out, Rich." Bev finally laughed, unable to stop herself. Her laugh was just to light and infectious, Richie couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, tugging at his dark brown eyes. An exaggerated sigh escaped his parted lips, and he shot a quick glance over towards his phone before looking back to the road.

"I'll only forgive you if you get me ice cream." His voice had a slight whiny tone to it, that of a five-year-old child talking to his mother.

"Done." Bev sealed the deal, undoubtedly with a grin as big as Richie's on her freckled face.

 

\--------------------------------

 

June 18th, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

A large yawn pried Richie's jaws apart for the tenth time in the last few minutes, making his nose crinkle and his eyes water. Richie had been driving for nearly twelve hours; every muscle begged to be set free and his long legs ached. Three hours ago, Bev had resigned herself to sleep, slipping out of consciousness without even hanging up, and leaving Richie all alone in the car. He had noticed almost immediately, hanging up for her so his music wouldn't wake her.

Sleep wasn't something Richie relied heavily upon. Sure, he had once slept from 9 pm until 2 pm the next day, but that's just because he had gone for three days without sleep beforehand. Tonight however, Richie could barely keep his eyes open. It must have been his lack of physical exertion, he supposed. He was more tired after sitting for twelve hours than after he spent four hours frolicking in the lake with Stan and Mike.

 

\--------------------------------

 

After ten minutes, Richie finally decided to go to sleep, pulling over at the side of the road. He stretched out in the front seat, legs curled slightly as he couldn't fit between the two doors completely extended. The position was moderately uncomfortable, but still better than his awkward sitting position from before.

 

\--------------------------------

 

The sound of birds woke Richie, paired with the bright sunlight that streamed into his car from every direction. A soft groan escaped the tall boy, and he slowly blinked open his eyes, looking up to the scuffed roof of his truck. It took Richie a few moments to figure out where exactly he was, and why, but as soon as it hit him, he sat up straight, legs sliding off the seat.

As a wave of nausea hit Richie, he immediately regretted the action, his gaze going dark at the edges. With a low moan, he turned in seat, lifting his hands to clutch his head.

Swaying lightly, Richie gripped the steering wheel with one hand, waiting as the black retreated from his vision. Ordinarily, he might just go on with life, used to not being able to see, but this was driving; Richie wasn't that stupid.

After about ten seconds his vision returned to its normal, crappy (but not black at the edges) self, and Richie grabbed his glasses from the dashboard, pushing them onto his face.

Only one hour left.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie spent his remaining time in the car conflicted. For years he had longed to see Bev. This was finally his chance! At last, they could do their handshake in person, they could hug!

But at the same, he couldn't help but be nervous. What if Bev wasn't as excited as he was? What if she didn't even want to meet him? What if she thought he was ugly in person?

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie could feel his heart beating, loud as a bass drum, as he pulled up to Bev's apartment, the one he had seen so many times he knew it as well as his own house. Swallowing quietly, he parked the car, then grabbed his bag from the back seat.

Richie took his time as he got out of the car, torn between stalling for as long as possible, or racing up the wiry steps as fast as he possibly could. After a moment of stalling, he finally gave in to the latter, sprinting up three flights of steps as fast as his long legs could take him. Richie barely managed to skid to a stop in front of her door, his breathing coming in short pants. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment, gathering the courage to knock.

The door was flung open before he could, and a blurry form barreled into Richie, tackling him in a vicious hug. Richie's eyes flew open as he toppled to the ground, Bev on top of him in a pile of limbs.

After the surprise faded, Richie wrapped his arms around her, a mess of fiery red hair in his face. A few moments later, Bev pulled away a little, allowing Richie to sit up, and take in the girl before him, who was pushing herself to her feet with a dazzling grin.

Bev was a bit shorter than he had pictured her, probably around 5'7. To her slim form clung a pair of faded blue jeans, with rips at the knees, and a teal sweatshirt, reading 'F I D M' , the college she would be going to. Her round face was framed by strands of red hair, which had fallen out of her messy bun.

Bev had high cheekbones, and a round button nose that was dusted with reddish freckles. Her sparkling blue eyes were framed with dark lashes, which only accented the colour.

Richie pushed himself to his feet, his backpack forgotten on the ground as he looked down at Bev in awe, his eyes wide. She looked up at him with a similar expression, taking him in in all his 6'3 glory.

"You're a bit shorter than I thought'd you'd be." Of course, Richie was the first to break the silence, a grin of his own playing at his lips. Bev blinked, a short laugh escaping her.

"That's coming from you... you're like a fucking giraffe." After a second, she stepped forwards again, tugging Richie into a hug once more. Her face came only to about his neck, so she rested her chin on his shoulder, eyes falling shut as she pulled him close. Richie wrapped his arms around her waist, his grin widening as he took in everything about her, from the warmth that radiated from her, to the smell of cigarettes and coffee that lingered on her.

"I love you, Bev..." his voice was soft, trembling slightly with emotion as he held her close, finally able to hug her. This was new for them, and he never wanted to let go. A soft sniffle came from Bev, and she nodded, her fingers curling into his shirt, a loud yellow Hawaiian button-up which he had paired with a Guns 'N' Roses tee.

"Love you too, Richie..."

 

• • •

 

August 28th, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

"See you guys next Thursday!" Eddie shot the camera a bright smile, dimples dipping into his freckled cheeks. The screen then cut back to Eddie's signature neon sign which flickered on, then disappeared. Over the past few years, he had grown, his baby fat slimming down, his cheekbones becoming more prominent in his face.

Richie had thought Eddie was beautiful as a fifteen year old, but now, the boy was jaw-dropping. His dark eyelashes had grown longer, adding a more feminine touch of beauty to his face, and accentuating his large eyes, which still reminded Richie of an anime character. The boy had grown a little, and now looked to be about 5'5, and could be easily mistaken for a middle schooler if he didn't have that general maturity of someone his age.

Eddie's beauty was youthful, his laugh was as melodic as a child's, and his eyes still bore the shining innocence that tends to fade as people enter their teenage years. He still wore the same cute pastel outfits, light sweaters or overalls. His hair had gotten longer over time, and developed more curls.

This year, the highlight of Eddie's videos had been his new apartment, which he shared with Bill, his best friend. Eddie had been so happy when he finally moved away from his mother, free to be his own person rather than the idealistic son his mother had created.

He began to post more, too, changing his posting schedule to every Thursday rather than simply whenever he could, which was usually once every two weeks or so.

Eddie and Bill's apartment was very nice. It had two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. Eddie filmed mostly in his bedroom, where he had a nice lighting set up he had so proudly displayed when he got it.

Now that he was gaining more followers, (Richie had cried tears of joy when he saw that his boy had hit one million a few months back) Eddie's main source of income was YouTube, and he was getting paid a fair amount of money. He and Bill also worked other jobs (Bill as a barista and Eddie as a mechanic) to help pay for the apartment, and Bill's college tuition. Eddie hadn't wanted to go to college, he was content with his life the way it was.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Bev stuck her head into Richie's room, a grin creeping across her face as she saw a flicker of his phone screen.

"You're still watching him?" Richie glanced up, just now noticing Bev. His freckled cheeks reddened slightly as he glanced away, pausing the video he was in the middle of.

"Um... yeah?" He paused, blinking. "That sounds really creepy when you say it like that. I'm not just watching him. I'm supporting him!" Bev scoffed, shaking her head lightly. "This is his main source of income, Bev!"

"Rich, I'm not stupid." Bev looked over to him, her blue eyes searching Richie's face. "I know that you didn't just move to LA to be with me, or because of that job at the radio station." Her voice was serious, a tone that usually didn't accompany Bev's words.

His gaze flickered away from Bev's face, raising to scan his poster-strewn walls. Richie looked up at Princess Leia, lips pursed sheepishly as he made eye contact with her unseeing brown eyes.

"Let a boy dream." After a minute or so, he looked back to Bev, his eyes large. "Bev, he's... he's amazing. I just- I just want to meet him." Bev's gaze softened as she looked over to Richie, and stepped into his room, leaning back against the door frame. Beside Richie, Chips raised his head, his ears perking up as Bev drew nearer. Against the mattress, his white-tipped tail thrummed excitedly, and the black and white border collie scrambled to its paws, jumping off the bed to go greet Bev. Chips was only two years old, and still retained his puppy-like enthusiasm. The dog happily sniffed Bev's beaten red converse, tail wagging.

Bev smiled down at Chips, distractedly ruffling his fur before she returned her gaze to Richie, a thoughtful expression on her round face. She was quiet for a moment, then sighed softly, nodding. "Ok. Ben and I are gonna go grab coffee, wanna come?"

 

\--------------------------------

 

August 31st, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

The quiet buzzing of Richie's phone startled him out of his light sleep, and he blinked open his eyes, reaching over to grab his phone from beside himself. At the foot of the bed, Chips blinked open his eyes, tail thumping lightly in greeting. Richie smiled softly, reaching over to ruffle his fur before pushing himself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. On the screen, a YouTube notification glowed.

'Eddie K uploaded a video; I sincerely regret this.'

Richie grinned, unlocking his phone and opening YouTube. The video was the first thing in his suggestions, the thumbnail showing Eddie reading something from his phone, eyes large.

In less than a second, Richie opened the video, then anxiously waited a few moments for it to load.

The screen finally loaded, showing Eddie in his room, in front of a blank yellow background. The boy sat on an old bar stool, one with a brass frame and a beaten up brown cushion. He spun absently back and forth in it, looking down to his little white phone.

"Bill leaned closer to the smaller boy, tenderly brushing a strand of hair from his face. 'Eh-Eddie...' His voice was rough full of-" Eddie choked, eyes large as he cut himself off. The boy looked up into the camera a shocked expression on his face.

The screen cut, switching to the brick wall, which displayed the sign. The sign flickered, then the screen returned back to Eddie, in the same position before.

 

"Hey, guys. I um- Bill found some fanfic... and. We're gonna read it..." From somewhere off screen came a muffled crash, and Eddie looked towards it, a fond smile creeping across his face. Bill came on screen, holding a matching bar stool. The tall boy set it down in the empty spot beside Eddie, then pulled himself into it, spinning lightly to offer the camera a small wave.

"Hey guh-g-guys." He smiled, reaching up to brush his reddish brown hair out of his face.

There was a moment of silence, then Eddie cleared his throat, pulling out his phone. He took a deep breath, glancing up to Bill.

"Ok... um." After a second, he looked to the camera, adopting his YouTuber voice. "So Bill and I found some..." He glanced down to his phone, squinting lightly. "K- Kas... brough. Kaspbrough fanfic." He glanced to Bill, showing him the phone. "Kaspbrough..." Bill squinted down at it.

"That's such a tuh-terrible name. Like... 'cuh-casper'. And then 'oh'." He pursed his lips, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "It could be... Beddie. O-or..." Bill blinked again, furrowing his eyebrows as he was quiet for a minute. "I gu-guess Kaspbrough works..."

Eddie pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I kinda like it." He nodded, tipping his head slightly. "Kaspbrough..." He let the name linger on his lips, blinking in thought. "Yeah. I like it."

The two boys fell into a thoughtful silence, looking over at each other. "Yeah. Ok." Eddie cleared his throat, looking back down to his phone. "Well... I guess we'll get started."

"This one is... for teens and up. So... nothing... um. Too explicit." Eddie winced slightly, shivering. He looked back over to Bill, gaze questioning. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Bill nodded, looking just as unsure as Eddie. "Y-yeah... I don't see huh-h-how it would hur-hur-t." Eddie swallowed quietly, looking back down.

"Ok. Well then." Eddie hopped off his chair, scooting it a bit closer to the centre of the screen. After a moment, Bill did the same. Now, the chairs were nearly touching, and they could both see the phone. "Um. I'll read me. And you read you. This is from-" Eddie looked down to the phone, scrolling down. "My perspective... so I'll read... everything else."

Clearing his throat, Eddie glanced into the camera, then looked back down.

"Eh-" Eddie giggled softly, taking a deep breath. The boy shook his head lightly, biting down on his bottom lip. Beside him, Bill looked down to the phone, cheeks reddening slightly as he read ahead. "Eddie Kaspbrak had a relatively average life for a sixteen year old. There was nothing particularly wrong with it. Sure, his mom was a bit overprotective, but he could deal with that. In school he was moderately popular, he got along with everyone. Nearly half the girls in the grade pined after him, drawn in by his br-" Eddie chuckled softly to himself, freckled cheeks reddening. He shot a quick glance to the camera, then looked back down to his phone. "Drawn in by his breathtaking be-" Eddie paused again, a laugh bubbling up from his parted lips. The boy threw his head back, cheeks flushed a bright pink as he laughed. "His breathtaking beauty!" Eddie dissolved into giggles again, eyes falling shut. Bill looked over at him, a soft chuckled radiating from him. His lips were drawn into a fond smile as he looked over to Eddie, blue eyes sparkling.

Richie couldn't help but let out a small laugh, Eddie's giggles were infectious. He looked down at his screen, eyes sparkling with admiration as Eddie slowly recovered. "Oh- ok. Ok." He composed himself, taking a shuddering breath. "Sorry."

"Nearly half the girls in the grade pined after him, drawn in by his breathtaking beauty and sweet personality. However, Eddie was gayer than a unicorn wrapped in a rainbow flag." At this, Eddie broke character again, glancing up into the camera. "That's true." After a second, he looked back to the phone, taking a deep breath.

"He only had eyes for one boy; Bill Denbrough." Eddie paused, eyes narrowing slightly. He scrolled up, lips pursed. "Wait... this has fourteen chapters." He glanced over to Bill, raising an eyebrow.

"M- maybe we should find a nuh-new one. Look up... Kaspbrough wuh-oneshots."

Eddie nodded absently, already typing away at his phone. After a few seconds, he clicked on something, tipping his screen to show Bill. "This one?" Bill nodded, looking down at the phone.

"Yuh-yeah."

"Ok..." Eddie took a deep breath, nodding to himself.

"Eddie took in a nervous breath, his eyes glued to the door. Currently, he was sitting in the middle of a moderately crowded restaurant, alone at a table for two. At any minute, Bill would be showing up. The two had agreed to meet here, after Bill got off of work." Eddie took a soft breath, scrolling down. "As the time passed, Eddie got more and more nervous, his-"

Eddie paused, furrowing his eyebrows. "Wait," He murmured, voice quiet. He glanced over to Bill, eyes narrowed. "Is it just me or is this really choppy?" Bill nodded, a similar expression on his face.

"Ih- it's choppy."

Eddie nodded, taking a deep breath, then resumed reading. "His hand tapping against the table. After five minutes, he was getting ready to leave, realizing that Bill wasn't coming. But then, just as he stood, Bill sprinted in through the door, and slid into the booth. He was entirely disorganized, and out of breath, but Eddie still felt his heart flutter at the-" Eddie gagged, looking away. Bill took this opportunity to read, his voice wavering slightly.

"But Eh-eh-Eddie still felt his heart fl-uh-fl-flutter at the sight." Bill chuckled softly, cheeks flaming red. " 'Suh-sorry, Love.' Buh- Bill's voice was warm and smooth like car-cuh-cara-muh-mel. Eddie looked up at hu-him, eyes large with desire-"

Bill blinked, cheeks reddening even more. At this, Eddie cleared his throat, scrolling down. His own freckled cheeks began to redden as he read ahead, his eyes scanning the page.

"This is uh... not... child appropriate." He glanced over, sheepishly showing Bill the screen. The taller boy scanned the words, blue eyes widening even more, and he let out an uncomfortable laugh.

"Nuh- nope. You can read this on your oh-own. I'm-m gonna make suh-some tea. Cuh-come get me f-fuh-for the out-t-tro."

Eddie watched Bill leave, eyes large. "W- Bill! This was your idea!"

"Nope!"

Eddie sighed softly, looking back to the camera apologetically.

"Um. Ok..." The boy glanced back down to his phone, then shook his head, cheeks still bright red. "Yeah... nope."

The camera cut, showing Eddie and Bill perched on the kitchen counter, holding cups of tea.

"Thuh-thanks for watching!" Bill grinned, his cheeks returned to their normal colour.

"Like and subscribe if that was as painful to watch as it was to make." Eddie looked into the camera, a sheepish smile tugging at his cheeks, which were still faintly pink.

The screen flashed black, then showed Eddie and Bill in the same spot in the kitchen, but the camera was more zoomed out, showing both their bodies. "Like and subscribe if that wa-" Eddie accidentally tipped his cup, and tea spilled out of it, splashing onto his pastel pink sweater. Wincing, Eddie looked down, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh... shit." The camera cut again, flashing the neon sign before it went black.

Richie looked down at his phone, eyebrows raised slightly. After a few moments, he blinked, then snapped into action, liking the video, then clicking the bar to add a comment.

 

12:47 am  
@mywangislongertha : Your laugh is so fucking adorable. Keep up the great work, Eds, you make my day so much better, even with painful videos like these. <3  
-Richie

Richie smiled faintly, looking down at his comment, then decided to add another.

12:49 am  
@mywangislongertha : What I wouldn't give to be Bill *wink*  
-Richie

 

• • •

 

September 3rd, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie rose to the sound of birds chirping, faint sunlight illuminating wisps of dust that danced through the air as it shone through his parted blinds. Cheerfully humming to himself, Richie grabbed his glasses, pushing them on, then pushed himself out of bed, waltzing across his cluttered floor to his closet. Richie pulled on a grey 'The Cure' shirt and relatively unwrinkled cargo shorts. As a last touch, he pulled on a long pair of socks, which proudly displayed the Mona Lisa.

Now dressed, he skidded out of room, crashing across the hallway to Bev's room. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Richie peeked inside, a grin creeping across his face as he saw Bev, who was peacefully asleep on her bed, her blazing hair forming a messy halo around her face as she slept. On the bed beside her Chips lay, head resting on his paws. His large brown eyes flicked up as Richie appeared, but the dog remained still.

Quietly, Richie stood for a moment, observing the serene quiet before he shattered it, barreling into Bev's room, and crashing onto the bed. He landed atop Bev's sleeping form, and her eyelashes fluttered slightly. Bev tensed a little beneath him, turning her head slightly. A soft groan escaped her, eyes still closed.

Richie propped himself up on one elbow, blinking over at her. With a grin, he reached out, poking Bev's nose.

"Bev. Bev. Hey, Bev." His voice was bright, cutting through the silence easily. When Bev stayed unresponsive on the mattress, he poked her again. "Bev. Bevvy. Beverly. Beaverly. Red. Bee. Bevvy boo. Bevvvvv."

"What...?" Bev's soft voice came, still rough from sleep as she slowly blinked open her eyes, turning her head to blearily glare up at Richie.

"Guess what day it is!" Richie was nearly trembling with excitement, eyes huge behind his glasses as he looked down at Bev. She groaned, letting her head fall back against her pillow as she closed her eyes.

"I swear if you say something like international cheese day again, I will actually kill you." Ordinarily, Bev would've at least adopted Richie's dopey grin, or dropped her annoyed tone, but this early in the morning, she wasn't prepared to be anything but grouchy.

"No! It's Eddie's birthday!" At this, Bev blinked open her eyes, looking back up to Richie.

"And why are you waking me up at..." She paused, turning her head to look over at her clock. "Eight in the morning?"

"Um." Richie blinked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We're going to celebrate with Stan and Mike." Richie perked up, eyes widening. "Ooh! I'll call Ben!"

Pushing himself off the bed, Richie leapt to his feet, dashing back to his room to grab his phone. Quickly, he dialed Ben, then held his phone to his ear, hopping excitedly from one foot to the other.

The phone rang several times, nearly for long enough that Richie had almost given up hope that Ben might answer. Just as he began to lower the phone, the was a soft click as Ben picked up.

"Haystack!" Richie brought his phone back up to his ear, grinning excitedly. Ben was quiet for a few moments, then spoke, voice rough with sleep.

"Yes?"

"Meet us at the chimney at nine." The Chimney Coffee House was a coffee shop that the friends frequented; their coffee and food was excellent, but not too costly.

A soft sigh rang across the line.

"Ok."

There was a quiet click as Ben hung up, and Richie let out a whoop of victory, doing an exaggerated celebration fist-pump.

Richie tossed his phone back onto his bed, then scampered back to Bev's room. "C'mon Bev! We're meeting them at nine! Get dressed, let's go let's go let's go!" Richie bounced excitedly in the doorway, eyes bright.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie shifted his chair, looking out at the table. To his left sat Stan, who looked as reserved and put together as ever, a pale blue shirt buttoned neatly up to the collar, a plain green tea wrapped in his slim fingers. At Richie's right sat Mike, a plain purple t-shirt hanging off his muscular frame as he sipped quietly from his espresso. Beside Mike was Ben, who looked surprisingly cheerful this early in the morning. Ben sipped from his chai tea as he engaged in a quiet conversation with Stan, leaning forwards, elbows on the table. Beside Ben was Bev, who sat scowling in her chair, clutching her coffee with narrowed eyes. Her hair was pulled up into messy ponytail, and a large sweater hung off her frame. Out of the group, she was the least cheerful by far, and sent even more glares in Richie's direction than Stan.

Happily, Richie licked the whipped cream from his hot cocoa, eagerly listening to Ben and Stan's conversation, and piping in whenever necessary.

"But what if the emails she deleted were just... normal emails! And she wanted to clear up storage."

"Oh, please." Stan rolled his eyes, a condescending sigh escaping him. "You don't just randomly wipe hundreds of emails because you need more storage. She's obviously hiding something."

Ben blinked, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"How did he know she erased the emails anyways?"

At this, Stan blinked, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I thi-"

"He hacked her! Or... he used his Russian spies to hack her." Richie cut Stan off, eyes bright.

Bev scoffed, inserting herself into the conversation.

"Can we talk about something else, please? You guys are making me want to drown you all in my coffee." Ben blinked, looking back to her. A soft smile crept across his lips as he looked fondly at her.

"Sure, Bev."

An awkward silence ensued as everyone looked between each other, lips pursed thoughtfully. Beside Richie, Mike shifted awkwardly in his chair, clearing his throat.

"So..." As usual, Richie was the first to break the silence, looking around at the faces of his friends, which were circled around him, each wearing varying expressions of alertness and cheerfulness. "It's Eddie's birthday."

A series of groans filtered through the circle of people, and Bev rolled her eyes, slumping back in her chair.

"Holy fuck, can you not go ten fucking minutes without bringing him up?" Her voice was thick with exasperation, these words having been said so many times they had been ingrained in Richie's head.

A soft cough came from Stan, who set his tea down, lifting his now free hand to cover his mouth, fingers curling slightly into a loose fist.

"Whipped." His words were uttered as more of a cough as he looked away from Richie, his defined face the picture of innocent and nonchalance.

Beside Richie, Mike chuckled softly, his lips curving into that infectious grin of his- the one that people just couldn't help but return.

Richie gasped, his eyes widening in mock hurt.

"You wound me, Stanthony!" His shrill voice rang out across the cozy little coffee shop, thick with overly-exaggerated offense. Richie's bight grin, however, gave the boy away, and drained any seriousness his words might've conveyed.

Ben sat quietly beside Mike, eyes narrowed in thought.

"But... I don't understand. How can you be so in love with someone who doesn't even know you exist?" Though his question was logical enough, the gazes of everyone at the table snapped to him, all varying expressions of, 'How could you have the audacity to ask that, I thought we all knew not to question Richie, we'll never understand him anyways'.

This time, Bev was the one to respond, offering Ben a careless shrug.

"Oh, please, that's so 2014. Get with the times, lover boy."

Mike nodded in agreement, offering Ben a soft smile.

"Nothing about the Trashmouth makes any sense, why should this be an exception?"

At this, Richie had to cut in, taking a dramatic slurp of his cocoa for emphasis.

"But Michael, love." His voice had adopted some warped attempt of a British accent, and Richie even lifted his pinkie from his cup to add to the effect. "I am simply exceptional." Batting his eyelashes vicariously, Richie lifted a hand, elegantly primping his ragged curls.

A sigh of disdain came from Stan, who was shaking his head condescendingly.

"Exceptionally stupid, sure." This drew a loud laugh from Bev, who threw her head back, barely managing to set her coffee back on the wooden table before she threw her hands up in the air, a bright smile tugging at her blue eyes.

"Alas! The mistreated finally strike back!" Even Richie had to chuckle at this, his fond gaze resting on Bev. Beside her, Ben chuckled softly, his greyish-green eyes sparkling with admiration as he looked over to the girl beside him, whose laughter rang through the quiet coffee house, bringing smiles to everyone at the table.

 

\--------------------------------

 

When Richie had moved to LA to live with Bev, he felt as if a piece of him had been filled- one he hadn't even known was missing. When Stan and Mike followed him, making their own lives in California, everyone had just clicked so easily, like pieces of a puzzle, fitting perfectly together. Now, surrounded by his four closest friends, Richie felt content. Everything he could ever need was here, surrounding him. These people were more family than Wentworth or Maggie Tozier ever were. Though Richie's parents supported him and certainly made his life better, they just didn't have the same connection with their son as these four people did.

When they were together, Richie felt invincible. Though he had only met Ben just recently, he was still closer with the boy than he was with his own mother, they just clicked.

However, as close as the five were, each of them agreed that they were missing something. If they were all pieces of a puzzle, they felt there were more than just five pieces. Together, they made something beautiful, but it wasn't quite their full potential.

 

• • •

 

September 3rd, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

At 11 am, Eddie went live. Richie, of course, was one of the first people join, distractedly retreating from the rest of his friends' conversation to watch the live video.

Bill's beaming face shone across the screen as he looked down into the camera. He was saying something, but Richie couldn't tell what, as his volume was all the way down.

Bill was walking through the apartment, his voice slowly becoming audible as Richie turned up his volume.

"-asleep, I th-thuh-think." He paused as he neared Eddie's door, then pushed it open, flipping the camera around as he stepped into the boy's immaculate room. Within direct view from the doorway was a little white arm chair ( https://goo.gl/images/MNZ2uh ), which was tucked neatly into the corner. From what Richie could see as Bill entered the room, the walls were a lovely shade of pastel yellow ( https://goo.gl/images/2vQVtj ), a bit more concentrated than typical pastel, but not dark enough to be just plain 'yellow'. A few feet to the right of the chair was an old fashioned desk ( https://goo.gl/images/WxDoUC ), made of pale, unfinished wood. At the desk was another stool, identical to the one in Eddie's most recent video ( https://goo.gl/images/3v3iUQ ) . Beside the desk was a cute little twin bed, complete with a curved copper bed-frame, whose polished surface glistened in the sunlight.

Eddie lay curled on the bed, a cozy looking grey blanket wrapped around his small form. His upper body was swimming in a loose grey sweatshirt, which was partly hidden by the blanket. Eddie's normally calm hair was loose now, curling in various directions as it gently framed his freckled face. The bright sunlight illuminated streaks of copper in the chestnut waves, highlighting his delicate cheekbones and casting faint shadows across his closed eyes.

Bill quietly walked across the grey shag carpet, humming quietly to himself. As he reached the bed, he paused, training the camera down on Eddie's sleeping face, which was a serene mask of peacefulness. Even Bill had to let out a soft coo at the heartwarming sight. Richie, on the other hand, his heart was more than warm. It was completely melted into a little puddle of love for the sleeping angel whose face was filling his phone screen.

Gently, Bill reached out, lightly shaking Eddie's shoulder. "Eh-Eddie..." His voice was soft, full of tender affection for the boy. "Time to get up."

Eddie let out a soft mewl, only curling up further. His dark eyelashes fluttered slightly as nestled further into his blankets, eyes closed. "C'mon, muh-man." Bill gently pushed his shoulder again in a feeble attempt to wake the boy up.

"Lemme sleep..." Eddie mumbled, curling away from Bill a little. "S'my birthday..." A soft chuckle came from Bill, who prodded the boy again.

"I know. Wuh-why else would I b-be waking you uh-up?"

"Go 'way."

"Buh-but Eddie. You wouldn't w-want to duh-d-dis-s-apoint the..." The phone shifted down a little, most likely as Bill looked at the screen. "Suh-seventy thousand puh-people watching you live vuh-video, would you?"

Eddie blinked open one eye, looking at the wall in front of him with furrowed eyebrows.

"You stole my phone?"

"Yuh-yep." At this, Eddie turned his head slightly, blinking open his other eye to look up at Bill accusingly.

"So you're... blackmailing me? On my birthday."

"I'd like to think of it as more of a huh-hostage situation." Richie let out a quiet chuckle, drawing the attention of Stan, who shifted a little in his chair to get a look at Richie's phone, curiosity gleaming in his greyish eyes.

"Watching porn again?" Reluctantly, Richie tore his gaze away from his phone, looking up to Stan.

"Something just as good, Stanthony." Shooting Stan a distracted grin, he looked back down to his phone, which was filled with Eddie's face as he had evidently taken his phone back. Richie typed out a quick comment, lips pursed in concentration.

11:07 am  
@mywangislongertha : that's a sight I'd love to wake up to <3 <3

11:07 am  
@mywangislongertha : lookin as beautiful as ever, Eddo

"Why would you start a live video..." Eddie's voice was soft as he looked down at the phone, though he directed his words to Bill.

"Because other-wuh-wuh-wise you never would've guh-gotten out of bed."

"Sure I would've..." his voice drifted off as he blinked down at the screen, eyebrows drawing together ever so slightly in concentration. "Hey... Bill, look at this." Bill's face popped into the frame, his piercing blue eyes focused on the phone, undoubtedly to a comment someone had left. Richie felt a little twinge of anticipation, his grip tightening slightly on his phone.

What if it's my comment?

Bill's lips moved soundlessly, forming words as he read them. Then, he glanced up to Eddie, raising an eyebrow.

"What am I sup-puh-p-poh- shit." Bill blinked, eyes narrowing in frustration, but Eddie understood what his friend had been trying to say, his freckled cheeks darkening a shade.

"Um." His voice wavered slightly, a bit unsure. "That's- yeah." The boy looked up into the camera, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, Richie."

Richie's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth dropping open. Uncurling slightly, his hands dropped his phone, letting it fall into his lap as they raised to cover his mouth, which was gaping open as if the muscles in his jaw had suddenly evaporated, leaving him unable to close it.

"Holy SHIT!" After a few moments, the shock faded enough to allow Richie to form words, a loud buzzing filling the back of his mind, and numbing him. Richie's turned to Ben, eyes huge as he dropped his hands from his mouth to point a shaking finger at the boy across from him. "FUCK YOU! HE KNOWS I EXIST! HE LITERALLY JUST SAID 'THANKS, RICHIE'!" Richie was nearly bouncing in his seat now, exhilaration coursing though his veins. "He knows I exist!" The quiet conversation that had filled the table fell quiet, three sets of unbelieving eyes fixing themselves upon Richie.

"It's true." Stan's voice came from beside Richie, a disbelieving note to it. "He did."

"Oh, fuck this." Bev pushed herself across the table, reaching down to grab Richie's phone from his lap before she fell back into her seat. Over the past few hours, she had slowly retreated from her dark cave of hatred and joined the conversation, her grouchy scowl gradually fading. Blinking down to Richie's phone, she raised an eyebrow, looking back to Richie, her blue eyes sharing some of his excitement. "That's fuckin- you lucky son of a bitch." Bev looked back to the phone, scrolling up through the comments to see what Richie had said. Beside her, Ben leaned over to look at the phone, a soft coo escaping him as he saw Richie's comments.

"That's actually so sweet, Richie."

Mike reached over, patting Richie on the back.

"That's awesome, man. You deserve it." Bev nodded vehemently.

"Three years of these comments? Uh, yeah, I would think so." She paused, shaking her head. "Jesus. You actually fuckin like him." Richie gaped at her, eyes huge.

"And you thought I didn't!?"

"Well I'm sorry that no one can fucking take you serious." Bev's words came out a bit harsher than she had evidently intended, and she blinked, paling. Ben reached over, gently prying the phone out of her fingers to hand it to Richie, a sweet smile gracing his lips.

"I'm really happy for you, Richie." Taking his phone, Richie looked between Bev and Ben, a hint of hurt mixing in with his excitement, dampening it into a dull humming that coiled in his stomach, tensing his nerves. His gaze eventually settled on Bev, taking in her wide, apologetic eyes and mortified expression, and he understood that it had been an accident, even if it had hurt him a little.

"Rich- I... I didn't mean it-" Nodding, he wet his lips, a hint of his excitement returning, shining through his darkened mood like the sun, piercing through clouds.

"I know."

"I'm really happy for you. You deserve it."

"I know. Thanks, Bev." Richie's smile had returned, tugging softly at his magnified eyes behind their thick, yellow-framed glasses.

 

• • •

 

December 21st, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

3:45 pm  
@mywangislongertha : Merry Christmas, baby boy. Your videos are the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.  
-Richie

A small smile tugged across Richie's lips as he pressed the blue 'Post' button watching as his comment appeared above hundreds of others. Pursing his lips lightly, he glanced up, a grin creeping across his face as he saw the flashing red light above his head click into action, letting everyone in the studio know they were on air.

"Welcome back, folks, to Tozier's house of radio waves and magic! Yes, you can all tune back in, the ads are over, and it's Thursday. Yes, you know what that means. It's time for the besr part of the week, Spaghetti Hour!"

Richie loved his job. He loved being able to freely talk for hours, to be able entertain people, make them smile. The fact that he was being paid was only an added bonus- he would gladly do this job for free.

Being a radio host was great. He could make corny jokes, practice his impressions, play epic 80s hits, dance to said 80s hits. As his listeners went up, he was gradually paid more, and actually making a fair amount of money. It was kind of Richie's way of saying, "Fuck you, world. I can be whatever I want to be."

When Richie was a kid, his parents had been supportive, sure. They smiled at the right times and offered kind sentiments the way parents were supposed to. For that, Richie was incredibly grateful. They hadn't been insanely overprotective, like Eddie's mom, nor complete shitholes, like Bev's dad. But Richie had seen the disappointment and tiredness in their eyes. He'd heard the, "Sweetie, you'll never get anywhere in life if you run your mouth like that" speech too many times. Richie loved his parents, but he still couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride at the thought that they might be flipping through the radio one day, searching for a good channel, and stumble upon his station, hear him running his mouth in the way he had always been taught not to, and being /paid/ to do so.

Work was good. Richie would talk for a few minutes, let a few songs play, spin around in his rolling chair, and talk some more. Sometimes, when his need to move got to be to much, he'd sprint a lap around the building while the music played, simply because he could, and he needed a way to get his pent up energy out.

In the long run, it was probably the best job Richie could ever ask for.

Every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, Richie would wake up at 6:45, and get to work by 7:00am, somehow bright and talkative as ever. He didn't mind the early mornings too much; as long as he got to bed at decent time, he was fine. Richie got a good amount of sleep each day; he wasn't ashamed to say that he was often in bed by nine or ten at night. Despite the amount of vulgar jokes and sexual innuendos he spewed on the daily, Richie was completely and utterly single. Not that that mattered- as he proudly pointed out to Bev when she made a crude remark about him "needing some action" - he had a hand, and he had Eddie's videos. That was enough action for him. Richie was content with his life.

The only thing Richie could possibly have to complain about was that he had to work on Thursdays, he had been yelled at for watching Eddie's video's more than a few times over the past few months at the studio. But even then, the fact that he had someone to gush to made it worth while.

 

\--------------------------------

 

7:29 pm  
@eddiek replied to your comment /Merry Christmas, baby boy. Your videos are the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.  
-Richie/

The sound of Richie's phone buzzing went unnoticed as he ranted into the microphone, currently in the middle of speech about how the inventor of the meme should be given a Nobel Prize. Fuck Joaquim Frank, this is some life changing shit here. Who cares about single-particle cryo-electron microscopy when we can have salt bae and fidget spinners.

After a few minutes, Richie finally drew his argument to a close, signing off with a grin and an exaggerated bow, though he knew his audience couldn't see him. With a victorious whoop, Richie pushed himself out of his chair at full speed, sending it rolling backwards away from him as he skidded out of the room, pulling the door shut behind himself. Richie paused, only for a moment to be sure it locked, then scampered off down the hallway, then out the doors and to his car. Richie had places to be and shit to do, he was /pumped/.

So pumped, in fact, that he didn't remember his phone, which was sitting innocently in the dark studio. So pumped that he didn't remember his keys, which were right beside his phone.

 

\--------------------------------

 

December 23rd, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie's head ached painfully. It wasn't as bad as yesterday, he supposed, but every time he moved, it still felt like his skull had cracked in half. He could only imagine that a room away, Bev herself was in a similar state of disrepair, wallowing in puddle of regret and pain that smelled suspiciously of vodka.

Bright sunlight streamed in through his open window, searing his narrowed eyes, and blinding him. Richie groaned softly, squinting quietly up at his ceiling, watching the odd splotches of colour created by his eyes dance across the white paint. Resting his hands back behind his head, he let out a huff of frustration. His jittery nerves prodded him to get up, making his foot tap anxiously against his blankets, as discreetly as possible to avoid another unwelcome jolt of pain through his head.

Slowly, his energy built up, pressurizing the blood in his veins, making his muscles shake slightly, longing to be stretched out. Finally, when it all got to be too much, Richie reluctantly pushed himself out of bed, swaying under a wave of dizziness as he pushed himself to his feet, his vision going dark around the corners, checkered squares building in his peripherals. With a quiet grimace, Richie steadied himself, squeezing his eyes shut against the waves of dizziness and nausea that swept over him, overwhelming his senses. But Richie didn't really have a choice. Yesterday, he had spent the day wallowing in pain and misery. Today, he had to be more proactive.

Richie spent nearly an hour attempting to make breakfast, and considering his throbbing head and bouncing energy, he did a surprisingly mediocre job, ending up with lightly browned eggs, and sufficiently crisped bacon. Conveniently after the food had been made, Bev ventured out of her pit of despair, cranky and looking like absolute crap. Dark shadows underlined her glassy blue eyes. Her pale complexion was littered with more than freckles, a few zits standing out against her skin. An old sweater hung off her slim frame, its reddish-tan colour bringing put the pink in her round cheeks, though her skin was still a paler shade than usual.

Bev offered Richie a glare as means of greeting, her blue eyes crinkling slightly at the corners and a faint crease forming between her eyebrows.

"Mornin' to you, too, Bevvy darlin'." Offering her a meager attempt at a grin, he scooped out a few eggs onto plate, then added a piece of bacon, careful to keep his movement at a minimum to avoid pain as much as possible. Richie slid the plate across the counter to her, then served himself a few eggs, and grabbed a piece of bacon, biting off the crispy tip of it. Richie blinked, eyes widening in surprise as the bacon crumbled a little, little pieces falling down to the tile floor at his feet. With a soft huff, Richie shoved the remaining bit of his bacon into his mouth, realizing that he may have cooked it a little too long only as it disintegrated in his mouth before he even had a chance to chew it. At least it tasted good.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie had looked everywhere; tossing the blankets from his bed, kicking piles of clothes on his floor, disassembling the couch. He even used Bev's phone to call the bar they had gone to last night, asking if anyone had seen a phone with a case covered in stickers anywhere, only to collapse defeatedly on his bed after a half-hour long conversation with the girl who had picked up the phone. Richie had hung up in exasperation, having received a phone number, but no phone.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Oh. /Oh/.

Of course. His phone was in a locked room. In a locked building. With his keys. The very same keys that opened the locks that locked them in. How very lovely. Lovely indeed. Could Richie call his boss to have someone unlock the door? No. Why? Because he didn't have a phone, and Bev didn't have Christian's (his boss) number. So what would he do? Richie would wait /another/ day. On Sunday, he would go to work, as usual, and simply have the janitor unlock his door. Simple as that. All he had to do was make it through today.

 

That was proving harder than he had thought. Richie's hangover still hung above him, looming over his head like an ever-present, ominous cloud of suffering. His head ached, his eyes burned, his mouth was dry. He had promised to call the boys today, check up on them, but he /couldn't/. Why? Bev was at work. So Richie paced miserably in solitude, kicking pillows and whatever else crossed his path and begrudgingly picking up the apartment, for lack of a better thing to do.

 

\--------------------------------

 

December 24th, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

"Thanks, man. You have no idea how much this means. I owe you one, oh bearer of keys and trash bags."

The janitor (Ken) shrugged him off, walking down the hallway, away from Richie.

"No problem, kid."

For a moment, Richie stood in the hallway, blinking after Ken's receding form, then turned, rushing into his studio. On the desk, there was his beautiful phone, in all its cracked-and-stickered glory beside his keys. With a soft whoop, Richie picked it up, the screen lighting up as he pressed the home button. A number of notifications were lined up on the screen; a few missed calls from Bev, Instagram notifications, texts from various people, a youtu- /wait/. A youtube notification!

7:29 pm  
@eddiek replied to your comment /Merry Christmas, baby boy. Your videos are the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.  
-Richie/

 

• • •

 

December 24th, 2017

 

\--------------------------------

 

/OhmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH EDDIE ANSWERED ME/

It took all Richie's self control to keep himself from chucking his phone across the studio in excitement. His nerves were thrumming with energy, hands trembling in exhilaration. With shaking hands, Richie unlocked his phone, pulse beating through his body in a reckless rhythm.

Youtube's loading screen taunted Richie, the white background glaring up at him, casting a pale sheen across his face. The damn app took an unbearably long time to load; it was seemingly hours before the rows of videos unfurled themselves across the screen. Without a second to lose, Richie clicked to his notifications, a thrill running through him at the red (1) at the little bell icon.

Taking a deep breath, Richie looked down at his screen, unsure if this was a dream or not.

The screen loaded, unveiling recent uploads of people Richie was following, and at the top, a comment.

7:29 pm  
@eddiek replied to your comment /Merry Christmas, baby boy. Your videos are the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.  
-Richie/

/Here we go. This is it./

Richie clicked on the comment, shoulders tensed in anticipation.

7:29 pm  
@eddiek : Thanks so much for all your support. It's people like you who inspire me to keep doing what I love <3

ps - especially you. Your comments make my day :)

Richie blinked, eyes widening.

/Oh./

 

/Wow./

 

\--------------------------------

 

"Are you /kidding/ me, Richie!" Bev's shrill voice cut through the phone, Richie could almost see her huge, disbelieving eyes. "You haven't answered him yet?! What the fuck? ANSWER HIM. RIGHT NOW. You fucking idiot."

Richie winced, blinking down at the phone as a quiet beep signaled the end of the call.

"Ok..." Richie took a deep breath. "Ok."

3:27 pm  
@mywangislongertha : Aw nah. You're the inspiring one. I'm just a sappy DJ with a crush.

With a soft exhale, he watched his comment appear beneath Eddie's, the innocent little words glowing innocently up at him from his phone's cracked screen.

 

\--------------------------------

 

January 16th, 2018

 

\--------------------------------

 

"Hey there, thanks for calling. Now I'll have your phone number and call you at random times in the middle of the night. What's up?"

"Is this Richie?" A quiet voice echoed through Richie's phone, a warm note of familiarity to it that Richie couldn't quite place.

"Yessir, the one and only. Please be aware that this call is being broadcasted live, so keep the dirty talk to minimum if at all possible."

A soft chuckle spilled from the phone, pulling the ghost of a smile to Richie's lips.

"Ok. Well, I just wanted to say that your show is amazing and makes me laugh more than I thought was humanly possible." Richie's smile widened, tugging at his freckled cheeks and making his magnified eyes crinkle at the corners.

"Aw... thank you, sir. You're too sweet," Richie crooned, eyes sparkling happily. After a second, he blinked thoughtfully. "May I ask your name?"

The person on the other side cleared their throat quietly, a soft hum escaping them.

"Um. I think you just did." Eyes widening, Richie barked out a surprised laugh.

"Oh! Mystery-nice-person gets off on a good one!" On the wall, a light blinked, signaling that his time on air was coming to an end. With a reluctant sigh, Richie pursed his lips. "Well, I must be back to the music, but feel free to call again, I look forwards to hearing your beautiful voice."

"I'll think about it." There was a soft click, then the dial tone rung in Richie's ear from the old phone that permanently resided in the studio. Richie let out a soft sigh, blinking curiously.

"Well, folks. That was... who was that?" After a moment of quiet, he cleared his throat. "Ok. Enjoy your music, folks. Tune back in in... eh..." Richie glanced up at the clock. "About ten minutes for analysis of the mystery-caller. Adios." With a flourish, Richie clicked off the microphone, flicking on /Hey Jude/ with the press of a button.

Lightly biting his bottom lip, he spun around in his chair, eyes narrowed as he scowled questioningly at the padded walls, as if they could give him an answer. "Who the /fuck/ was that?"

 

\--------------------------------

 

The thoughts that Eddie had never answered his comments were gratefully shoved aside, replaced entirely by the mysterious caller. That /laugh/. It was so familiar. It painted pictures in his mind, of a smiling face, dimples tugging at tan cheeks. But /whose/ cheeks were those? Images of glowing blue blurred with... with what? Richie couldn't quite place it... and it frustrated him to no end. It was /right/ there. He /knew/ who it was. Who was it?

 

\--------------------------------

 

January 18th, 2018

 

\--------------------------------

 

"Ow. Fu-" Eddie blinked, drawing out the u and his eyes widened slightly as he tried to cover for himself. "Uuuuuuuuuun dip is sugar filled and bad for your teeth." Behind the camera, Bill snickered, the shot bobbing up and down as it showed Eddie walking down a street, freckled cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink as he recovered his balance. He shot the camera a quick, uncertainty-filled grin, then a glare towards Bill, his huge eyes only making him look cuter in all his 'anger'. "I hope you step on a lego."

The screen cut to Eddie's famous neon sign, glowing in bluish-green light as it spelled out the youtuber's name. After a moment, the screen switched to show Eddie, standing outside his and Bill's apartment. "Hey, there. Today, Bill and I are gonna go for a w-" He cut himself off with a chuckle, ducking his head as his sweet laughter filtered through the air. "Oh my-" Eddie laughed again. "I sound like such a youtuber." From behind the camera, there was a muttered curse, then a stick flew at Eddie, hitting him weakly in the chest.

"You are a y-yuh-youtuber, you idiot." Bill's clear voice rang out, confident and full of love as ever. Pursing his lips, Eddie looked up, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his hair as a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"Yeah... I guess I am." For a moment, both boys were quiet, the only sound being the quiet chirping of birds in the background and the obnoxious humming/shuddering/dying of Richie's heater as it blasted lukewarm air out in occasional puffs. "Anyways." The boy crossed his arms, looking a little too warm in his oversized white parka. "We're gonna walk. And talk about random stuff. It'll be fun."

"Yup. Eh-Ed-d-Eddie has been emotionally d-d-dis-t-traught ever since yuh-yesterday." Eddie shot Bill another glare, adorable little crinkles forming between his eyebrows.

"Shush." Lifting a hand, he pressed a finger to Bill's lips.

"I can't buh-believ-ve you called!"

Richie blinked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"I can't believe he didn't recognize me." Eddie mumbled back, pursing his lips lightly. His cheeks were slowly darkening in colour, adopting a rather flattering tone of red.

/Wait, what?/

"Ooooh. You're s-so in loovee." Bill's hand came out, managing a quick pinch to Eddie's cheek before it was slapped away.

"Shut up. I am /not/."

"Are you k-kuh-kidding me? You sounded like a fuh-fu- em. A love-s-suh-sick girl." Bill's voice adopted a higher tone, mimicking Eddie, "You're /so/ amazing and fuh-f-funny! I just /love/ you!"

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie stared at his ceiling, wide awake as he blinked blindly up into the darkness into the room. Inside his head, a whirlwind of thoughts raged, too fast for him to make any sense of them, but he was dizzy nonetheless from trying.

/What. The. Fuck./

 

• • •

 

\--------------------------------

 

January 20th, 2018

 

\--------------------------------

 

Eddie's followers were freaking the fuck out. A swarm of comments flooded his most recent video, all theories or questions about this potential love interest. The video went viral; Richie watched as its views slowly climbed, 1,000, then 100,000, then 1,000,000, then 5,000,000. He glanced over the theories, each more laughable and heart-wrenching than the next. Each about someone other than Richie.

7:06 pm  
@sofia_the_greatest : but wHat if iT's one of his clients from the mechanic shop!!! Like some sexy dude rolls in with a Ferrari and Eds is like 'damn hottie what's ur #'

9:45 pm  
@ranchflavoureddoritos : oh oh OH NO ITS @don_the_hag REMEMBER WHEN THEY COLLABED EDDIE WAS SO WHIPPED FOR THAT BOII JDKFGHDHJFJDHHDHDBGNFJ

11:29 pm  
@elfish.presley : oh nah my dudes it's just a prank

3:59 am  
@eddsie : aw that's so cuteee I bet it's like some long lost crush from middle school and he finally got the guts to tell him I hope they get together <3

With every comment, Richie's heart sank. How dumb he was to have thought that Eddie might've been talking about /him/. Of course it wasn't him! Who was he? A dumb nobody who spends their time writing out cheesy and mildly disgusting comments and stalking cute little youtubers with adorable freckles, bambi eyes and an affinity for green tea. Nope.  
No way could Eddie like him. They'd never even met! It was irrational to even think that the boy might've considered Richie to be likable, let alone have a crush on him.

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie spent the day wallowing in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he drifted aimlessly through a melancholy puddle of his own thoughts. Inky black curls clumped around his freckled face, twining messily into each other in an unbrushed mess. Dark circles were slowly making their way to under Richie's eyes, making themselves comfortable in his lack of sleep. He had known this would happen... Eddie had his own life, how was he supposed to magically not like anyone simply because some weirdo he had never met had a crush on him?

"Do you think you could turn it down a little?" Bev poked her head in the doorway, her auburn curls bouncing around her face. Sky-blue eyes blinked down at Richie, a hint of.... what? something sparkling in them.

"What?" Jarred from his thoughts, Richie looked over to her, confusion etched across his face. His room had been silent, the loudest thing in the apartment was the soft hum of music drifting in from the kitchen.

"Your overthinking is like-" Bev gestured in the air, waving her hand as if she was fanning herself, "really loud. I can't even hear my music."

Richie blinked, craning his neck a little to look up at her as he pushed himself into a half-sitting position.

"Um." His voice was rough, and it wavered deep in his throat as he looked at her. "I'm not overthinking."

With a scoff, Bev rolled her eyes.

"Sure. Right. Yeah." The redhead looked up to the ceiling, her voice thick with sarcasm. She was quiet for a moment, then when she looked down, her eyes were soft. "Relax, Rich. Bill's probably just be being a turd and making something out of nothing." Richie blinked skeptically, squinting his eyes up at her.

"But he was blushing..." Even to himself, Richie's voice sounded like a pitiful whine.

"He always blushes!" Bev had stepped fully into his doorway now, arms folded across her chest in disdain, looking wholly like a disapproving mother as she glared down at Richie, eyes both tender and exasperated at the same time. "Now come eat lunch, you dork."

A wave of gratitude flooded through Richie, washing away his annoyance with strong currents of love, and Richie couldn't help but let a fond smile tug at his lips.

"If you insist, Bev, darling."

 

\--------------------------------

 

January 21st, 2018

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie spun nervously in his chair, glancing up at the red light, which was dark, as it was nowhere near time his time on air. With an exasperated huff, he let his head hand back against his chair, letting himself get lost in the quiet drumming of /Jukebox Hero/, which was playing softly from a set of speakers beneath his desk at minimum volume.

Halfway through /Don't You/ by Simple Minds, Richie was startled out of his dreamlike state by the buzzing of the studio's phone. Heart lurching in his chest, he sat up in his chair, pushing himself to his desk with the movement of a horse when it's startled, and jolts into a quick gallop. Unceremoniously, (and predictably) he crashed into the hard wood of the desk, a soft curse escaping him as one of his lanky shins knocked against it, emitting a painful bang. With one hand, Richie reached out to grab the phone, soothing his throbbing shin with the other as he rubbed it gently through his galaxy patterned pants.

"You've reached Richie Tozier, the one and only. Lover of food, fucker of mothers. What can I do ya for?" Only a slight grimace escaped through his voice, but it was barely noticeable over the bright tone of his voice and endless bounce to his joyful words.

"Oh my guh-huh-h-osh." A quiet mutter rang over the line, a bit distant as if it were not spoken to Richie, but someone on the other side of the call. Richie felt his pulse stutter at the familiar sound of the stutter, and he swallowed quietly, his throat suddenly painfully dry. "This is h-huh-him?" There was a quiet mumble from the other side, barely audible, then the clearing of a throat. "Is this Ruh-r-ruh-shit."

"Is this Richie?" The voice of the mysterious caller rang over the line, clear and bright as ever, and Richie felt a smile tug at his lips on its own accord, despite the building anxiety that twined through this nerves, making his uninjured leg bounce nervously against the floor.

"Uh-" He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath. "Y-yep. Yessiree. That's me. Who's this?" There was a moment of silence on the line, filled only by the loud drumming of Richie's heartbeat in his ears.

"Are you um. Are you My wang is longer than on youtube?" The voice rang through, a timid note to it. Richie cleared his throat, swallowing nervously.

"Well. It was supposed to be 'My wang is longer than my username' but youtube has a character count so..." his voice drifted off for a moment, then he nodded vehemently, regardless of the fact that the callers couldn't see him. "But yeah. Yes. Yep. That's... yeah. That's me."

An awkward silence filled the line, pressing down more against Richie as every second passed. "Is this Eddie?" Richie blurted, the words spilling from his lips before he could even process them. There was a short intake of breath on the other side of the line, then the soft rush of an inhaler, confirming what Richie had already known.

"Yeah."

It was quiet again.

"I... uh..." Richie was first to break the silence, fishing blindly in the darkness in search of what to say, but coming up empty handed, "wh- um. So it was me?" A soft laugh came from the other side, quiet and nervous.

"Yeah." Eddie's voice was sweet and gentle. It was timid and careful. Richie had heard it so many times, but today... today it was just for him. "You didn't comment on it." This wasn't a question.

"I didn't know what to say."

There was a cough on the line.

"Ok. This is so awkwuh-w-wuh-ward it's puh-puh-painful." Bill's voice cut through the quiet, clear and bright. "Richie, are y-yuh-you ok with muh-meeting in real luh-life?" Richie felt his pulse speed up, and he nodded again.

"Yeah."

"Guh-good. Can wuh-we meet tuh-tomorrow? At Muh-Menotti's Coff-fuh-fee shop?"  
"Yeah."

"Cuh-cool. Are you good wuh-wuh-with being fuh-filmed?"

"Yeah." Richie winced at his answer. He was finally talking to the two people who he values the most, (besides Bev, Ben, Stan and Mike, of course) and all he can say is 'yeah'?

"Great. See you at tuh-ten."

The dial tone rung softly in Richie's ear as Bill hung up.

 

• • •

 

January 22nd, 2018

 

\--------------------------------

 

Richie didn't know whether he was going to throw up or cry as he glanced through the coffee shop's tinted windows, squeezing Bev's slim hand in his like a lifeline; he was drowning in a sea of terror and excitement and countless other emotions that he couldn't quite put a name to, and Bev was the rope thrown to him, keeping him from slipping under the surface of the rough waves.

"Ok..." he exhaled nervously, sharing a reassuring glance with Bev. With a short nod, Richie pushed open the door, taking a deep breath in as a tide of warm air rushed at him, bearing the warm scent of roasting coffee, and the mouthwatering aroma of bread, fresh out of the oven. Richie couldn't help but let the serene atmosphere of the coffee shop soothe his fraying nerves, and he stepped inside, shooting a quick glance around the shop, which was decorated in warm browns and reds, tawny walls with mocha coloured tables and bronze furnishing. A soft hum of conversation filled the shop, low and comforting like the rush of waves against a deserted beach at low tide. Richie let his eyes wander, letting himself find comfort of Bev's presence beside him.

"Come on, Rich." Bev's soft voice purred out against Richie's ear, a soft tone of fondness to it. "Don't worry.. they're great people. Just be yourself, love." With a shaky nod, Richie let his gaze land on the two forms seated in tall barstools, resting opposite each other on a long table. Bill's legs swung beneath the table, and a blue flannel hung off his broad shoulders, the brilliant colour of the cloudless June sky. Richie knew it was nearly the same shade as Bill's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he made his way towards the two, Bev at his side. He heard a short intake of breath from the redhead beside him, whose gaze was locked on Eddie. The doe-eyed teen sat across from Bill, short legs swinging agitatedly beneath his stool, white converse catching occasionally on the little bar between the legs. His freckled face was a shade or two paler than usual, the absence of roses blooming in his rounded cheeks betraying his anxiety. The boy's dainty chest rose and fell quickly, matching the rhythm of his irregular breathing, the telltale sign of an oncoming anxiety attack. Bill reached out, seemingly soothing the trembling boy. Though Richie was too far to hear what he had said, Bill's words seemed to have some effect in calming Eddie, as the boy took a deep breath, pulling on a brave face as he took a sip of his tea with trembling hands.

Richie felt a gentle nudge against his shoulder, and glanced back to Bev, who was looking up at him with excitement in her bright eyes. "Let's go! It's fuckin- it's Eddie! C'mon." Rocking forwards on her heels, she spurred into motion, pulling Richie forwards and she glanced down, brushing any wrinkles from her lavender dress, one of her own design. The pale fabric fit her nicely, accentuating her curves and matching well with the vibrant red of her hair. Richie let himself be pulled behind her, swallowing down his nervousness, and replacing it with a bright smile. Adjusting his bright yellow glasses, Richie let a spring enter his step, matching Bev's pace as they approached the table, hand in hand.

Two sets of eyes snapped over to them, one blue, full of laughter and confidence, and one brown, huge, shining, and terrified. Richie was a little surprised to see the nervousness in Eddie's eyes. He knew the boy was nowhere near as bold and unshakable as Bill, but why should Eddie be scared to meet him? Richie was just... Richie was no one. A lovesick fan, maybe. No one to be nervous about.

 

Richie and Bev stepped up to the head of the table, Bill on one side, Eddie on the other. In Bill's hands was a sleek black camera, surprisingly smaller than the one Richie had pictured was used in Eddie's video. Currently, the camera was trained on Richie in Bev, undoubtedly creating the next video Eddie would post already.

Richie looked between the two teens, shifting agitatedly from one foot to the other. For a moment, the raven-haired boy was quiet, his bony fingers lacing themselves tighter through Bev's. After a second or two, his tongue darted out between his chapped lips, wetting them before he let out a low whistle.

"Wow. You're even more beautiful in real life."

Eddie's cheeks immediately adopted a lovely shade of red, and he ducked his head sheepishly, fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater, which was the dusty colour of creamy white, tucked neatly beneath a pair of old-fashioned blue overalls. The boy's chestnut coloured hair was wonderfully styled, streaks of copper illuminated in the wavy strands. If Richie had thought Eddie was beautiful on camera, he was jaw-dropping in real life. His skin was a beautiful, sun-kissed tan, his dark-lashed eyes a wonderful brown, deep and earthy like the rings of a tree. A dusting of freckles were scattered across his cheeks like constellations. Eddie's form was small and dainty, but in a beautiful way, like that of a fairy, or a wildflower.

"Thanks," came Eddie's soft reply. His voice was quiet, and sweet, like the gentle whisper of the wind through the coffee shop. Richie felt his heart flutter at the noise, and he let his eyes drift across the boy's form, taking him in in all his gentle, soft allure.

 

Richie didn't know how long he'd stood there, completely lost in Eddie's whimsical features, but it must've been long enough, because Bev gently nudged his shoulder again, pulling him back to reality.

"Earth to Richie??" Her whispered voice came into his ear. "When I said be yourself I didn't mean stare at him for three minutes and make everyone uncomfortable." Richie felt his cheeks heat up, and he nodded hurriedly, snapping his gaze away from Eddie, whose cheeks had somehow managed to grow even redder. Looking to Bill, he offered him a crooked grin.

"Hey there, Billiam. Fancy seeing you here."

Bill let out a soft laugh, his blue eyes running appraisingly across Richie's face, then flicking to Bev.

"Yuh-you guys can suh-suh-sit down if-fuh you wuh-want." Richie nodded, letting his hand slip out of Bev's as he stepped towards Eddie, pulling himself up into a stool besides the smaller boy. Shooting a smile to the taller boy, he set an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hands. After a moment of hesitation, Bev made her way over to the spot opposite Richie, pulling herself up besides Bill.

Eddie turned in his stool, facing Richie with a timid smile. The youtuber's slim fingers were wrapped around a steaming cup of tea, undoubtedly green tea, and he lifted his chin a little, meeting the taller teen's eyes.

Bev an Bill struck up an easy conversation, tossing sentences back and forth to each other like they had known each other all their lives, but their words fell upon blind ears; Richie's attention was wholly and completely focused on Eddie. At that moment, Richie was sure that it would've been impossible for him to tear his gaze away from the boy's angelic face. Fuck, a hurricane could tear up the entire coffee shop and Richie wouldn't even noticed, so entranced was he.

"How did you manage to watch my videos for four years and still like me?" Eddie was the first to break the silence, the incredulity and off-hand tone to his question almost masking the insecurity hidden in his words.

"As long as you keep being your adorable self, I'll keep it up for a lot longer." Richie offered the boy a crooked grin. Eddie offered him a sheepish smile, oblivious to the double meaning of Richie's words... until he got it. A short huff of surprise left the small boy, and he averted his gaze from Richie, cheeks burning.

"Oh my gosh-" he sputtered, fingers tightening around his tea, "I can't believe I like y-" Eddie blinked, eyes widening as he snapped his mouth shut with a click. Richie's eyes widened, and he stared at Eddie, his jaw falling open in surprise.

/Um. What now?/

"Uh." Richie gaped at the smaller boy, eyes so wide they were surely about to fall out of their sockets. "You. Wh- wait wait wait." He held up a hand, mind spinning as he tried to make sense of what he had just heard. "You... like... me? As in... wh-" shaking his head a little, he wet his lips. "Why on Earth would you like me? You're like- like this awesome magical fairy-god-wizard-child and I'm..." blinking, he opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for words, "and I'm a... a hapless chimpanzee living under a bridge."

Eddie blinked in surprise, looking up at Richie with wide eyes. After a moment, he tipped his head slightly to the side, processing the teens words.

Unexpectedly, he burst into laughter. Loud, melodic, beautiful laughter that left Richie a wide-eyed mess of confusion.

"A-" Eddie's words were broken up between childish giggles as he ducked his head, bending over a little as he laughed. Several times, he took a deep breath, seeming to compose himself before he burst into another fit of laughter. "A hapless chimpanzee living under a-" he took a shuddering breath, eyes crinkling as they were squeezed shut. "A- a bridge!"

Richie blinked down at the smaller boy, a smile creeping across his face from Eddie's infectious joy. For a moment, he thought, then nodded, completely serious.

"Yeah."

This only increased Eddie's laughter, and he doubled over, wheezing in between giggles.

"A f- and I'm a-" he giggled again, wiping a tear from his shining eyes, "and I'm an awesome magical fairy-god-wizard-child?" Richie nodded again.

"Yessir."

Eddie slipped off into more laughter, dimples tugging at his adorable freckled cheeks. Richie's smile widened into a fond grin, his eyes flicking across the small boys face.

/He is so fucking adorable oh my GOSH/

 

It took maybe five minutes before Eddie's laughter finally came to a halt, and the boy wiped a few sparkling tears from his eyes as he caught his breath, straightening (he's still gay. Don't worry) a little in his seat. With shining eyes, he looked up to Richie, shaking his head a little.

"That." A fond smile tugged at his lips as he met Richie's gaze. "That is why I like you."

 

• • •

 

June 2nd, 2018

 

\--------------------------------

 

Ben threw his head back in a loud laugh, his almond shaped brown eyes crinkling in a smile. Tucked beneath his right arm was Bev, her sparkling gaze resting on her boyfriends face as she rester her head against his chest, a grin playing at her lips.

"And I had no fuckin' idea what to do- like- this /lady/ just shows up, and she's yelling at me because my dog got loose in her yard and ate her pumpkins, but /I don't even have a dog!/" Beside Richie, Mike was gesturing wildly, his warm eyes huge with excitement. "Then she's threatening to call the police and I'm trying to be chill but I can't cause it's not my FUCKING DOG. What kind of dog would eat a pumpkin?" A snicker came from Bill, who shook his head a little, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Anyways. I try to tell her to look at the dogs tags, but then she's all like 'oh. No he ran away before I could see him' The fuck? How did she know it was a dog, then?? It coulda been a fucking wild mongoose for all she knew."

At this, Richie let out a loud cackle, his arm tightening around Eddie's shoulders as the image of a pumpkin-eating wild mongoose flooded his mind, which quickly transformed into a wild. pumpkin-eating Eddie, ratty hair and Tarzan-styled loincloth in all.

"It coulda been a wild Eddie... fuck knows he sure likes eating m-" before Richie could finish his sentence, a pillow, stolen from the walls of Eddie and Richie's blanket fort, was so graciously shoved at his face, muffling the rest of his words. On impulse, Richie flinched backwards, shooting a scowl at Eddie as the pillow was lowered. "Oh, fuck you, Eds. You can't hide the truth from them forever. I WON'T BE SILENCED."

Stan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms beneath his head as he stretched out in his uncomfortable looking arm chair.

"Yes you can. All it'd take is one of those flirty smiles from Eddie and you be an obedient pet for a good hour or two." Richie scoffed, shaking his head vigorously, even though he knew that Stan's words had a truth to them. There was a disbelieving huff from Bill, who glared at Richie.

"Duh-don't deny it-tuh. Wuh-wuh-we've all suh-seen it happen, Rich." This received a chorus of confirming noises and nods from the other five people scattered around the room, all stretched out in various positions on the floor, on the couch, or in the chair, the one that Stan had immediately claimed as his own, stating his ownership of the seat before even greeting any of his friends as they filed into his and Ben's apartment at random intervals.

There was a soft groan from Bev.

"I'm starving. Let's get the cake out already." Ben nodded enthusiastically, sitting up a little straighter beneath Bev.

"Yeah! That's the reason you guys all came, isn't it?"

"The only one." Stan's flat reply was met with a disapproving huff from Bill.

"Nuh-not true. We wuh-wuh-wanted you to huh-have an aw-wuh-awesome buh-buh-b-buh-/shit/." Bill cut himself off, scowling as his words divided themselves against his will, making him notoriously difficult to understand to anyone but his friends and family.

"To have an awesome birthday." Mike finished for Bill with a smile, his eyes sparkling kindly. Bill nodded, shooting him a grateful smile.

"Thuh-thanks."

Ben nodded, a bright smile tugging at his eyes.

"Aw... thanks guys."

 

\--------------------------------

 

With a scowl, Stan wiped the frosting off of the tip of his pointed nose, which was there courtesy of Bill's kind attempt at sharing his cake. Hurriedly, he stood, stepping through a minefield of pillows and stretched-out teens as he made his way to the kitchen, where he rinsed the white sour cream frosting from his agile fingers, muttering annoyedly to himself under his breath. Moments later, he returned, his furrowed eyebrows not quite masking the fondness in his eyes as he regarded Bill, who had taken it upon himself to stretch awkwardly across the arms of Stan's chair, legs thrown over one arm and back resting against the other as he cheerfully licked the remains of his red velvet cake from his fingers.

"Move, you asshole." Stan stood above the chair, frowning down at Bill with a sparkle in his eyes. Bill responded with only an absent shake of his head, attention now completely focused on picking the crumbs of cake from his grey flannel.

Looking on with interest, Richie grinned crookedly to himself, chin resting in Eddie's wavy hair as the boy was curled into his lap. Knowing Stan, the teen certainly wouldn't sit on the floor, even though the carpet was meticulously vacuumed, clean enough for even Eddie. But neither would Stan give up his chair so willingly, the boy was too stubborn for that.

"This chair isn't built to hold more than 200 pounds, you know." Crossing his arms, Stan shifted impatiently from one foot to the other. Bill's gaze shot up, eyes wide with surprise.

"Are you calling me fuh-fat!?" Bill's voice was sharp, on the verge of a wavering laugh.

"Oh snap." A quiet laugh came from Bev, who was comfortably nestled into Ben's arms, watching the scene before her unfold with sparkling eyes.

"Stanthony gets off on a good one..." Richie muttered softly, tenderly booping Eddie's little nose, his finger leaving a tiny white splotch of frosting amongst the youtuber's freckles. Eddie let out a soft mewl of annoyance, too comfortable to react any more than reaching up to rub halfheartedly at his nose.

"Yes. Now get out of my chair before you break it." A soft grumble came from Bill, and he reluctantly pushed himself out of the chair, flopping limply onto the floor at Stan's feet. "Thank you." Delicately, Stan stepped over the boy, then lowered himself into the chair, shifting a little as he made himself comfortable, a victorious smile on his face.

Stan's victory was short lived, though, because only moments later, Bill pulled himself back up into the chair, melting lazily into Stan's lap, Stan letting out a surprised 'oof' at the sudden weight that was reclining on top of him.

"Mm... you're so squishy and cuh-cuh-comfortable, Stanny." A dopey smile tugged at Bill's lips, making dimples curve into his cheeks. For a few minutes, he let himself rest, a content expression on his face, then blinked open his eyes, looking up to Stan. "No you're nuh-nuh-not. You're actually ruh-ruh-really bony and kuh-kinda uncomfortable."

Stan frowned down at the lanky teen in his lap, eyes narrowed.

"Serves you right. I hope you're stabbed to death by my femurs." Bill let out an offended gasp, clutching one hand to his chest.

"Nuh-nuh-no! They wuh-wouldn't dare!"

"My femurs have no restraint, William." With a soft huff, Bill adjusted himself a little, shifting so his legs were across Stan's lap, hanging off the side of the chair much like they had been before. Closing his eyes, he crossed his arms behind his head, relaxing against Stan.

"Mm... this is more cuh-comfortable."

 

\--------------------------------

 

"I don't know, man... Wonder Woman's pretty cool." Mike blinked thoughtfully up at the ceiling, his chocolate-y brown eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

"Yeah. But Captain America is... I don't know. So human.... like. He was all scrawny and stuff... and then he got all buff and brave. It's like the ultimate story of renewal."

"Yeah, but he's a little cocky. Wonder Woman is just such a great symbol of strength a love. She's basically the first female superhero besides Scarlet Witch, and not only that, but she's a big part of Greek and Roman mythology." Turning his head slightly, Mike looked over to Ben, eyebrows raised slightly in question.

"Nuh-uh." Richie could help barging in, sitting up a little straighter (no. Still gay) beneath Eddie. "Excuse me. Aquaman is like... damn." Shivering a little, he met Ben's gaze, eyes wide. "Did you /see/ him. He's almost as hot as Ms. K." A short huff of protest came from Eddie, who was half-asleep in the taller boy's arms.

"Fuck you..." Eddie's quiet mumble was muffled slightly in Richie's shirt, and the tall boy looked down to him with a smile.

"Aw... look at him. He's so tired he can't even form coherent sentences." Richie tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of the boy's face. "You forgot the 'I want to' part, Eds." There was a soft grumble, and a weak push against Richie's chest, but no audible response.

Meanwhile, Ben and Mike's conversation had escalated, and the two pacifists were as close as they could ever be to an argument.

"He isn't arrogant. Come on, Mikey. If anyone's arrogant, it's Stark. But he has more fans than anyone."

"Ok. He may not be arrogant. But Wonder Woman is... I don't know. She's just so pure and old fashioned."

"Yeah. But she's also a bit sexist. She thought men were useless and ignorant?"

"Well, yeah. But that was how she was raised. You would think so, too, if you were an Amazon." Mike was sitting up now, propping himself up with his hands as he looked up at Ben.

"True..." a thoughtful reply came from Ben, who was leaning forwards in the couch, his arm having dropped from Bev's shoulder's a little more than five minutes ago. "But in Civil War, he just wanted to defend Bucky. In the end... are teammates more important, or is helping your best friend more important?"

"Welll..." Mike blanched, wetting his lips. "I mean. Friends are important, but you shouldn't just ditch everyone because they disagree with you."

"If everyone decided that it would be best to kill Mya, would you just stand by and let us?" Blinking, Mike narrowed his eyes a little.

"No..."

"Course he wouldn't! Where else would he find a girlfriend?"

"I'd date him," Bev piped up, laying a hand on Ben's knee as she shot him an apologetic glance.

"Hey, I'd duh-duh-date him tuh-too." Bill shot Mike a bright smile, shifting a little in Stan's lap.

"Me too," a soft mutter came from Eddie, barely audible. Richie pursed his lips thoughtfully, then shrugged.

"Fuck it. So would I." Ben looked around at the rest of the teens, one eyebrow raised, then shrugged.

"I'm not really into guys... but I think I might be able to make an exception for you, Hanlon." Richie glanced over to Stan, raising an eyebrow.

"Relationships are pointless." There he was. "...But I wouldn't be opposed to dating you..."

Mike blushed, a bright grin tugging at his lips.

"Aw... thanks, guys. Y'all are too sweet." Bev shrugged, returning Mike's smile.

"What can I say, you're a catch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. I tried to edit this and everything so here you go. Chapter two should be out eventually. (It may be a while...)
> 
> :) thanks for reading


	2. Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's from Eddie's pov! Goes more into depth with their relationship! Enjoy :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is undetited... sorry. also, i just did a quick read through and I guess i left myself little notes about where to  
> italicise and strikethrougn, etc, so if you could do me a favour and pretend i actually paid attemtion to the notes and italicised what i was supposed to, that'd be lovely :)

May 23rd, 2014

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"Hey, Bill?" Eddie glanced up from his phone, eyes narrowed slightly in puzzlement. Beside him, Bill's head lifted a little, and the met his gaze, a wordless question in his sky-blue eyes. The auburn haired boy met his gaze, an ever-present expression of kindness on his face, and Eddie couldn't help but feel his pulse stutter at the sight, a reminder of his fading crush on the boy. Without Bill, Eddie might not have ever come to terms with his sexuality, with the fact that he liked boys. But when his heart fluttered whenever his best friend walked into a room, or his large eyes were drawn to the boy like magnets, it all made sense. His lack of attraction to girls, his confusing dreams about boys, the waves of personal offence that washed through him whenever someone threw around a homophobic slur as easily as bringing up the weather. His crush, though important, was quickly fading, though. Eddie loved Bill, he knew that much, but as a brother. As a best friend. He would do anything for the stuttering boy in a heartbeat, rationality and self respect be damned. If Bill asked Eddie to jump off a cliff, the boy would gladly be hurling through the air, no fear of death, only the gladness that he could help Bill. But as much as he /loved/ Bill, he wasn't /attracted/ to the boy. The crush was just a silly phase, though a vital one, and Eddie was equally embarrassed of it as he was glad for it.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"They... uh." Eddie wet his lips, glancing down to his phone. His large eyes flicked across the glowing screen, taking in the little words. Those words, so innocent and meaningless... why did they make his cheeks flush in a way they hadn't since his crush on Bill? "They commented again." Hands reached out for his phone, grasping it from Eddie's hands. Peering down at the screen, Bill scanned the words, then glanced up to Eddie with a smile playing at his lips.

 

"Looks like you have an admirer." Eddie flushed at the words, a warm rush flooding his veins.

 

/An admirer/

 

"Yeah.. looks like I do."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

June 2nd, 2016

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

It was kind of amazing, really, how the commenter had stuck with him. For two years, there had been a sweet little remark posted beneath every one of his videos. Eddie was impressed- this person had some serious dedication. Not only tat, but it was rather astounding how he never ran out of creative little remarks. Eddie had done the math- this person had left over 1,000 comments on his videos, and not a single one ever failed to bring a pink flush to his cheeks, and make his heart flutter within his chest. He didn't understand- he didn't even know who this person was, their profile, @mywamgislongertha showed nothing more than a crappy profile picture, which was a little too grainy to see, and a long list of liked videos, mostly Eddie's, but with a few gaming videos mixed in. His profile name was a little vulgar, the first time Eddie had seen it he had almost deleted the comment, but he made up for it with sweet comments and heartwarming complements.

 

The most recent comment was no exception.

 

4:02 pm

@mywangislongertha : Georgie might be an adorable little nugget but you are still the cutest <3 <3

  * Richie



 

A warm blush spread across Eddie's cheeks, watercolour red painting his freckled skin a sweet portrait of happiness, and, dare he say it, maybe a hint of-

 

Wait.

 

/Wait./

 

Finally, Eddie registered the signature at the end of the comment, his brown eyes zeroing into the innocent little combination of letters, so simple, so meaningless, so why did they make his heart race it was racing right now?

 

Richie.

 

So that was his name.

 

Eddie held it on the tip of his tongue, savouring the taste of it as it stretched out, uncoiling itself like a cat, reaching to the seal of Eddie's lips, a wordless question to be spoken. After a moment, Eddie let the name slip from his lips, listening as it mingled with the silence, a quiet whisper.

 

He liked it, the boy decided. It was a good name. A good name for a good person, it was fitting.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

November 23rd, 2016

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"/Billlll./" Eddie's voice took on a whiny tone, one that was annoying even himself as he tugged on the taller boy's wrist, his slim fingers curling around Bill's bony arm. "I need to finish this video! I've been stalling for the past week and tomorrow's Thursday and I can't- I-" Eddie took in a shuddery breath, blinking up at his friend with watery brown eyes. "I'vegottaposttomorrowbutIdon'thaveanythingtopostandmyfollowerswillallunfollowmeandthenI'llstopgettibgpaidbyyoutubeandI'llhavetogobacktomymomandshe'llfeedmemoreplacebosand-"

 

"Woah... Eddie. Cuh-cal-calm down, buh-bud." Bill put a comforting hand on Eddie's shoulder, cutting off his spew of words. "I'll help yuh-you. Wuh-we can go fuh-for a walk or you cuh-can do muh-makeup or go ar-ruh-round petting duh-dogs. It'll be fuh-fine." The taller teen offered Eddie a reassuring smile, his kind blue gaze comforting the small boy. Eddie took a deep breath, nodding slowly as the haze slowly slipped from his mind, leaving him a little foggy around the corners with a pair of only-a-little-shrunken lungs.

 

After taking a short puff from his inhaler, Eddie felt a little better, and loosened his death-grip from Bill's wrist.

 

"Petting dogs sounds fun..." he mumbled softly, looking quietly down at the shag carpet beneath his converse.

 

"Yuh-yeah. Do you wuh-wuh-wanna go to the duh-dog puh-puh-p-park?" Bill offered a comforting squeeze to Eddie's shoulder, which Eddie responded to with another nod, tucking his inhaler into his pocket with a quiet sniffle.

 

"Ok.."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"Oh my /gosh/!" Eddie let out a high pitched squeal as a particularly fluffy dog came bounding up to him, it's long white hair bouncing with the dog's deer-like leaps. ( <https://goo.gl/images/YVQw81> ) "It's so flu- oh my gosh you are just the cutest little floofer!" His voice adopted a softer tone as the dog reached him, and he dropped to his knees, reaching out to tangle his fingers into the doggo's fluff. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh how are you so fluffy..." Eddie's grin was huge as it spread across his face, dimples tugging at his freckles. The dog happily licked at Eddie's face, it's tail whipping back in forth in excitement. "Ohmygoshhhhh" threading his fingers through the silky fur, Eddie leaned into the dog, feeling its body wriggle with excitement.

 

There was a soft chuckle from behind Eddie, and he took a moment to glance behind himself, meeting Bill's laughing eyes. The taller teen was holding the camera, which was trained on Eddie's face, and Eddie glanced into it for a moment, flashing it an excited smile before looking back up to Bill. "What?"

 

"Nuh-nothing." Bill shot the smaller boy a bright smile, and Eddie shook his head, turning his attention back to the dog.

 

"You are so /cute/! Look at you and your fluffy little tail!" Eddie paused, taking a moment to boop the dog's glistening black nose before glancing down to its collar, fishing the tag out of the cascades of fur. "What's your name... Iris? That's a cute name... for /such/ a cute doggo!"

 

Looking up again, the youtuber lifted a hand to ruffle Iris's hair, smiling fondly over at her as he leaned forwards, their foreheads bumping. "I just want to take you home..." Eddie cooed, eyelashes fluttering against Iris's fur.

 

Iris's tail wagged joyfully, causing her whole body to wriggle back and forth as she reared her head, pink tongue darting out to lick Eddie's cheek, which Eddie took as an answer. "Yeah? You want to come home with me?"

 

"Eddie..." Bill's voice came from behind him, soft and a bit exasperated. "We can't steal someone's dog."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 16th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"Bark N' Bitches?" Eddie blinked incredulously up at the loopy white lettering that stood out against the red sign on the front of the pet shop. "Who names their pet supply store Bark N' Bitches?!"

 

Richie, however, was much more enthralled, a huge smile tugging at his lips, like that of a toddler having just been handed a chocolate bar.

 

"Are you kidding me? This is the perfect name, I'd come here any day!" He was quiet for a moment, a heavy feeling of dread settling in Eddie's stomach as a wicked grin crept across the taller boy's lips. "Especially if they offer more than just the dog kind of bitches... /hey/, I wouldn't be surprised if we found your mom in here!"

 

Eddie scowled over at him, eyes narrowing slightly in warning.

 

"Tozier, if you mention my mom /one/ more time, I'm going to leave you in a kennel in this fucking pet store." Wetting his lips, he crossed his arms across his small chest, an indignant expression on his face as he looked up at Richie. "But only after I get my puppy." Richie chuckled at that, reaching out to affectionately tweak Eddie's nose, which caused the shorter to take a step back, nose crinkling in annoyance as he swatted Richie's hand away.

 

"So if I guess you just won't be getting your puppy, then."

 

Eddie's jaw dropped, his eyes magnified with disbelief and surprise.

 

"Ok, nope. You're going in that kennel either way," he snapped, grabbing Richie's hand to pull him towards the door, "let's go." Richie thrashed gracelessly behind him, flailing his free arm out like a baby bird who struggling to take flight for the first time.

 

"Noo! You can't take me! I WON'T BE CAGED!"

 

"Oh, I think you will, you mop-headed ingrate." Eddie pulled open the door, a little bell signalling their entrance. With a determined huff, he dragged a protesting Richie into the store, his fingers tightening around the other's bony wrist as he was hit with the strong smell of pure /animals/. Not a wholly bad thing, just, strong. Strong enough to make Eddie's fingers twitch for his inhaler. Wetting his lips, he offered a bright, albeit shaky, smile to the woman behind the desk, walking up to her.

 

"Don't let his cuteness fool you, he's a demon in disguise." Richie had ceased his flailing, and walked up to the desk with a completely serious expression, his wrist still encased in the manacles of Eddie's iron grip. Eddie simply smiled, batting his eyelashes innocently.

 

"Hi. We'd like to adopt a dog."

 

The woman looked between the two, confusion dancing in her grin. Pieces of wavy brown hair fell out of her bun, neatly framing her sculpted face.

 

"Oh lovely." Turning her gaze to Richie, she offered him a subtle nod. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." With a wink, she looked back to Eddie, whose eyes had widened slightly. "We've got a few rescues, I'm sure you'll love them."

 

"I'm sure we will." Eddie's smile transforms into one much more genuine as his fingers loosen a little, slipping down from Richie's wrist to lace themselves between the taller boy's fingers.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"Oh!" Richie gasped, crouching down next to the little Jack Russel Terrier. "His name is Eddie!" The little puppy's tail wagged excitedly, causing his whole little body to squirm back and forth. The puppy had a little white body, a reddish brown patch covering its face and neck, and another little splotch on its side. Eddie's brown-tipped tail whipped back and forth as he rose onto his back legs, pawing through the gate of his little pen up at Richie. Big, shining black eyes blinked up at him, flicking over to the youtuber. "It's a sign, babe." Richie looked back to Eddie, eyes wide and hopeful. "Look at him! He's almost as cute as you are!"

 

Eddie knelt down in front of the pen, carefully reaching out towards the puppy. The puppy leaned forwards, gladly licking the youtuber's fingers. A small smile crept across the teen's face, tugging at the corners of his almond shaped eyes.

 

"Hey, bud..." Eddie's voice was soft, careful as if he were talking to a small child. "You're pretty cute..." Looking down at the dog, Eddie smiled softly, his fingers curling into the wire of the gate between them.

 

/He could be mine./ Eddie shot a glance to Richie beside him, eyes flitting across the taller teen' s gentle expression. /He could be ours./

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 18th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Eddie smiled down at the little tag in his slim fingers, his brown eyes tracing the letters cut into the blue aluminium.

 

/Jes

 

(Pronounced Jez)

 

I belong to Eddie Kaspbrack and Richie Tozier/

 

Looking up to Richie, he grinned.

 

"Only an few hours till we go pick him up."

 

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

In the end, they ended up getting a reddish gold Spaniel/Chihuahua mix who bore a striking resemblance to Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy (just his face, not the rest of him. More like second cousins than twins). Fluffly blonde fur, golden orange like that of a golden retriever, hung off his small, 8 lb frame. His silky fur was the perfect length, reminiscent of that of a fox, but it was very thin, maintaining his slim appearance.December, the lady from Bark N' Bitches, had told them that Duncan (that was his name, before) had been rescued from a high kill shelter. The poor pup had been set to be euthanised the very day he was rescued, so it was a miracle that he was alive.

 

Though Eddie's heart went out to the little Jack Russel that shared his name, it had been Duncan who completely stole his heart. From the moment he tilted his little head, one ear flopping down a little more than the other, Eddie had been taken. Duncan was already a year old, not quite a puppy anymore.

 

Richie had been a bit sad when they decided not to get Eddie, but the youtuber knew that the puppy would have no problem getting adopted. Duncan, however, had less of a chance. As puppies turned into dogs, their appeal lessened exponentially. Duncan was only a few months past being a puppy, but those months were enough to damage his chances of being adopted. If anything, that was the determining factor of his adoption. Eddie knew he couldn't leave Duncan to sit in that store. If he were to leave him, he'd leave a piece of his heart, too.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Jes leapt right up onto Eddie's twin bed, fur rippling with the action like a waterfall, silky cascades pouring down his slim frame. Eddie smiled brightly, reaching out to ruffle his fur.

 

"Hey, Jezzy, boy." Cupping the dog's face, he grinned, fingers curling to scratch the silvery fur behind his ears. "You like your new home?" Jes wagged his tail, prancing into Eddie's lap. Eddie took that as a yes.

 

 

• • •

 

 

 

November 2nd, 2017

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Eddie frowned at the camera, wetting his lips. A bundle of nerves were gathered in his stomach, electric, sending anxiety through his body with every beat of his pulse.

 

/This is a terrible idea/

 

/Henry was right, I really am a girly boy/

 

/It's a wonder my chest hasn't grown in yet, it feels heavy enough/

 

Eddie had to chuckle at that one, his breath coming out in a nervous stutter. He was being dumb. Of course he was being dumb.

 

/No. no no. I need to get my shit together and stop stalling./

 

Taking a deep breath, Eddie pressed record on the camera, a smile slipping too easily over his nervous features.

 

"I regret this video already." For a moment, he looked straight into the camera, eyes blank, smile falling away.

 

A heavy sigh dropped from his lips, lingering in the thick air.

 

"Well. Ok." Eddie reached down, grabbing a silvery pot of makeup, his brown eyes dark with uncertainty.

 

The screen went dark for a moment, before a blueish green glow filled the screen, illuminating the familiar brick wall and neon sign.

 

With a soft sigh, Eddie paused the video.

 

It wasn't his finest work, sure. But he couldn't deny how the mascara made his already huge, oaky brown eyes pop, accentuated by his darkened, naturally curling lashes. He had to admit how good he felt when his prominent, freckle anointed cheekbones glittered in the sunlight like they had been kissed by the stars.

 

Eddie had to admit that he had liked it. It had been nice to be pretty.

 

 

• • •

 

 

October 4th, 2007

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Auburn rays of sunlight carefully descended from the clouds, glinting in that way only possible during autumn, warmly with just the faintest nip of cold. Warm colours and spices with the smallest hint of the upcoming winter. Millions of leaves decorated the earth, accenting the yellowing grass of neatly trimmed front yards, scattering beneath the wind's gentle hand like excited children, fleeing the schoolyard the moment the bell rings.

 

Glowing smiles graced people faces, dimples tugging at reddened cheeks. Eyes shone with happiness as the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg rose into the air, carried on the winds. As the sun set, houses slowly lit up, light pouring out of their windows to try and keep away the dark.

 

But one house, despite all of the humming white lightbulbs, despite the familiar buzzing of the tv on its lowest volume, despite the ragged little wreath hung on the door, was darker than ever. Sadness dripped from its walls, peeling like the decades old paint. It hung over the house's three (cross out three) two residents, weighing down on their shoulders, pulling tears from their eyes.

 

One of the residents, the eldest, let the sadness weigh her down in other ways. It pulled down the little red hand on the scale, dragging her down with the numbers, further and further into the hole that she had no will to drag herself out of. It made her (thickening) fingers wrap tightly around her son's wrist, pulling him back, keeping him from the dangers of the world. Keeping him from the goodness of the world.

 

It dragged her son down, too. It made him look not twice, but five times at every road he crossed (only using the crosswalk, of course). It made him carry an extra bottle of hand sanitiser in his fanny-pack. It made him scared to raise his hand to ask his 2nd grade teacher, the kindly Mrs. Wriedt what the word "obese" meant (he had heard it from a conversation his mommy was having with the doctor). It made the circles under his eyes darker, the muscles in his slim fingers twitchier, and the fear in his heart stronger.

 

It was the sadness that cast shadows across the empty chair at the table, the sadness that made those pictures on the mantle impossible to look at without bursting into ugly, heart-wrenching tears that someone could easily drown in.

 

And drown they did.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Sonia Kaspbrack was more than just an overprotective mother. Deep in her heart, she knew that much. She knew she couldn't blame what she was doing on grief for her late husband anymore. But her child, her sun, her one source of light in this sadness-darkened world was too precious to simply be set free. No, he had to be protected. The world outside was so dark, so cruel. The boy had already lost his father. He had already gone through so much pain, experienced so much suffering. The least she could do for the boy was to keep his already dark life from getting any darker. There were so many terrible things out in the world, people kidnapped children and sold them as sex slaves. People killed other people for fun. And let's not get started on all the /diseases/. A person could /die/ just because they had breathed in a few germs, or touched a subway pole with their cut hand. A person could die just because they had something wrong in their DNA. Sonia was just keeping her little boy from all of that.

 

Yes, he had seen enough suffering.

 

Sonia was just protecting her boy. Protecting him from the world.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

January 7th, 2010

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"I'm sorry, Mommy!" Eddie blinked up at his mother with wide, tear-rimmed brown eyes, desperation making his voice tremble almost as much as his hands. Sonia's pudgy fingers pressed into the boy's small arms like clamps, surely in the process of creating a line of finger shaped bruises against his pale, freckled skin.

 

"You can't /do/ that, Eddie-bear!" She shook him, as if trying to jarr her message into him. "I was so worried, baby." With that, her fingers released from his small arms, rising to gently cup his freckled cheeks, the reddening marks which were appearing on his skin the only sign of her previous intensity. "Your mommy thought she was going to lose you, just like she lost your daddy." Eddie's eyes widened slightly as he saw the glimmerings of tears fill his mothers waterline, a pang of guilt causing him to shrink away from her grasp, his slender back brushing against the wall behind him, the one that had been covered with his father's polaroids, the ones that he had spent years collecting, and had proudly pinned them up to display them, which now were gathering dust inside a box downstairs.

 

"Sorry, Mommy..." Eddie swallowed thickly, blinking quickly to try and hold back the torrent of tears just waiting to carve their silver paths down his cheeks. "I wuh- I won't do it again." Voice trembling, he looked down, his slim fingers tangling themselves nervously in the hem of his shirt. A quiet sniffle escaped him, as well as the first tear, which slipped down his freckled cheek, which was quickly followed by the next.

 

"Oh, honey." The boy could sense his mother's rising distress, the sound of awkward, wet snuffling filling the air as his mother's tears began to overflow, which only made Eddie cry harder, so ashamed to be the one that caused his mother to cry.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 17th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"C'mon, Eds. It'll be fun." Richie's voice poured from the phone, a raspy edge to it that made Eddie's skin tingle, and startling a whole flurry of butterflies into action, fluttering in his stomach. Eddie could practically hear the other teen's smirk, he could picture his sparkling eyes behind those thick yellow frames, the telltale glimmer of love(strikethrough) kindness on his face, the curve of his lips reserved specifically for Eddie. Picturing this, he knew that there was no way to say no to the lanky teen.

 

"Ok..." a soft sigh rang from Eddie's lips, and and he fluttered his dark eyelashes in exasperation, forgetting for a moment that Richie wasn't there with him in the room.

 

"Excellent! See you tonight." He could almost see Richie's wink, and chuckled softly, nodding in agreement before he realised that he would not, in fact, be seeing Richie tonight.

 

"You'll have to wait till tomorrow for that, Rich..." Eddie spoke, a question in his voice.

 

A laugh rang through the line, and Eddie knew with a sinking feeling in his gut that he had fallen right into Richie's trap.

 

"No, good sir, I shall not. As a matter of fact, I'll be dreaming of you all night long. You, beneath me, those big brown eyes b-"

 

"Keep it in your pants, Tozier." Eddie bit down on his bottom lip to keep back his smile, cheeks flaming red.

 

"Oh, but I'd so much rather be in /your/ pants, my lil spaghetti," Richie crooned, his low voice sparking something within Eddie's gut. Swallowing thickly, Eddie closed his eyes, eyebrows narrowed in indignation as he fought to keep his dignity intact.

 

"In your dreams, fucktard." His voice wavered slightly, and Eddie prayed that Richie could not tell how flustered he truly was.

 

"Why of course."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 18th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

11:46 am

Ricky: hey babe

 

11:47 am

Spaggheds: take that 'babe' and shove it up your ass

 

11:47 am

Ricky: fjdndhjd yes talk dirty to me eds

 

11:47 am

Spaggheds: fuck off I just want to eat my acaii bowl in peace

 

11:47 am

Ricky: no no I just wanna talk

 

11:47 am

Ricky: im so boredddssdssssd

 

11:47 am

Ricky: normally id hit up ur mom but she's not answering

 

11:47 am

Spaggheds: no

 

11:47 am

Spaggheds: im stopping u there

 

11:48 am

Ricky: she's probably still asleep

 

11:48 am

Spaggheds: no

 

11:48 am

Spaggheds: Richie don't

 

11:48 am

Ricky: last night we did it roughhhhhhhh

 

11:48 am

Spaggheds: nope

 

11:48 am

Spaggheds: shhhhhhhh

 

11:48 am

Ricky: i kept her up allllll night

 

11:48 am

Spaggheds: stop

 

11:48 am

Spaggheds: i'll block u

 

11:49 am

Spaggheds: I won't hesitate, bitch

 

11:49 am

Ricky: jeSsicA iTs noT wHaT yOu tHiNk

 

Eddie's acaii bowl sat forgotten on the counter, the spoon discarded sadly inside it while his attention had been dominated by Richie's flurry of texts. Despite his futile attempts to hold it back, a small grin had found its way onto Eddie's face, playing at his lips and dipping dimples into his cheeks. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, tipping towards a letter or two before returning back to their original spot as Eddie debated what to say.

 

11:50 am

Ricky: well

 

Richie, being unable to go for more than a minute without making some idiotic remark to break the silence, saved Eddie the trouble of having to respond.

 

11:50 am

Ricky: actually it is what you think

 

11:50 am

Ricky: but you cAnT shOot mE im a bAd biTch

 

11:50 am

Ricky: and a devilishly handsome god

 

11:50 am

Ricky: you would miss my beautiful face

 

11:50 am

Spaggheds: omg lolllll

11:51 am

Ricky: ah right

 

11:51 am

Ricky: of course

 

11:51 am

Ricky: lets not forget my stunningly hilarious sense of humour

 

11:52 am

Ricky: therefore I am invincible

 

11:52 am

Spaggheds: therefore you are an imbicile

 

11:52 am

Ricky: oooh that almost rhymed

 

11:54 am

Ricky: oh hey I'm leaving now see u in about 13 min

 

11:55 am

Spaggheds: aw

 

11:55 am

Spaggheds: only 13??

 

11:55 am

Ricky: ouch

 

11:55 am

Spaggheds: UM WhAt are you dOiNg no texting while driving

 

11:56 am

Ricky: cute

 

11:56 am

Spaggheds: not cute eyes on the road moron

 

11:56 am

Ricky: kk see u

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Eddie stumbled backwards, making contact with the door behind him as soon as Richie stepped inside, the taller teens arms rising to pin the smaller boy beneath him as he captured his lips in a burning kiss. Dark eyelashes fluttering shut, Eddie let his hands float up a little, grazing against Richie's hipbones, which were prominent through the teens dark skinny jeans, the ones that had rips along the knees, and fit his form oh so well. A soft whimper escaped Eddie's lips as Richie pressed further into him, and the smaller teen leaned up onto his tiptoes, tipping his head slightly to the side to push their bodies closer, Richie's glasses uncomfortably squeezed against Eddie's nose. When Richie's tongue slipped across the seal of Eddie's lips, and he quickly parted them, a soft breath escaping him, and rushing against Richie's cheek. Eddie wasn't sure how the taller boy could be effected so much, but Richie shivered at that, pressing himself further against Eddie, and successfully trapping him against the door, his hands on-

 

A loud knocking stirred Eddie from his comfortable spot leaning against the couch arm, and he blinked open his eyes, cheeks burning red. The teen sat up quickly, pushing himself to his feet. With a soft curse, he adjusted the uncomfortable position that his jeans had found themselves in, and made his way to the door, running a hand through his hair. Now, with the intense humidity in the air, the dark, chestnut coloured strands had begun to curl, loose waves falling in their own directions. Eddie had to admit that he quite liked his hair this way- ordinarily it required some sort of product to curl in this way, but now, it was beautifully cooperative, and boosted his self image greatly. Right now, though, Eddie was less concerned about his hair, and more about the redness in his cheeks and the tightness in his skinny jeans.

 

The teen took one last moment to enjoy his self preservation while it lasted, breathing deeply in as he closed his eyes, hand resting on the doorknob. Then, he pulled open the door.

 

"Spaghetti!" Richie flowed into the apartment, waving arms ensnaring Eddie in a joyful hug, which the teen let himself be swept up in with little resistance, tensing a little as their bodies slammed together.

 

"H-hey Rich."

 

"What's up, Eds?" Richie patted Eddie's back as he pulled away, holding the shorter teen at an arms length to inspect him, muddy brown eyes flicking up and down his body from behind their yellow frames. "I catch you at a bad time?" There was a faint hint of uncertainty in his voice, and he wet his lips, looking up to meet Eddie's eyes, and Eddie fought to keep his cheeks from reddening again.

 

"Oh, no. I was just-" Eddie's voice faltered a little as he searched for a proper excuse, opting to go for the half-truth route. "I fell asleep." For a moment, Eddie shifted his weight uncertainly from one foot to the other, then nodded in confirmation. Richie blinked, looking appraisingly down at him, then nodded as well, seeming to buy Eddie's story, if a little reluctant to do so.

 

"Okie, whatever you say, spaghedds." With that, Richie pulled away, one hand darting up to brush a strand of hair out of Eddie's eyes, then dropping almost nervously. Richie's pink tongue darted out between his lips as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, gaze flicking across Eddie's face. "So... Eds." A hint of nervousness fluttered through Eddie, a reminder of his younger years, back when he got flustered whenever his crush even glanced his way. He could sense the oddness in Richie's expression- something was off. Whether that was good or bad- he would see.

 

"Th- that's not my name you ass."

 

"I uh- well. You see... well. Would you like to continue this conversation in the park? Because- I mean... well I spent twelve dollars on a bouquet of sunflowers and they're uh-" Richie blinked, eyes widening slightly. "I forgot them. They're in my car."

 

This... was new. Eddie blinked up at the taller teen, shock painted across his freckled face, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise. Was this- no... Richie couldn't possibly be asking him on a date... But what if he was?

 

"Y- um.. wh-" Eddie swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in this throat. "I can't say I pictured our first date being in a park." /Shit/. That was /not/ what he had meant to say. But, as Richie's eyes lit up, relief and budding excitement coloured plainly across his face, it seemed that that had been the correct thing to say.

 

"You've imagined our first date?" The words fell from Richie's lips like a quiet breath, hanging in the air with the aura of surprise and wonder, and just a hint of Eddie's anxiety slipped away from him. This, it seemed, was not a moment to be anxious.

 

"Y- uh, well-" the words tripped over themselves, falling off Eddie's tongue in broken little clusters. It seemed that every moment, with Eddie, was a time to be anxious. "Y- yes?"

 

"Me too."

 

And there it was, out in the open. Richie's grin was so bright it put the sun- which had been shining directly into Eddie's apartment, mind you- to shame.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Awkwardly, Eddie kept his attention focused on the sunflowers in his lap, gently tracing his fingers along the wilted petals with a featherlight touch, head cast downwards in a futile attempt to hide the redness in his cheeks which had made itself comfortable there, even venturing out to stretch across the constellations that were dusted across the youtuber's nose.

 

Richie sat across from the teen, looking comically enthralled, a faint blush on his cheeks and stars dancing behind the frames of his glasses.

 

"Um." The lanky teen was the first to break the silence, his rough- yet somehow also soft?- voice bringing Eddie's eyes up to meet his own. "Do you- like... wanna talk? Or, I dunno. Sitting in silence is cool too."

 

This new tongue tied and shy Richie was unusual, yet incredibly adorable, and while the lack of mom jokes was relieving, the sudden dam in the seeming endless flow of words was a bit unnerving. It seemed that it would be up to Eddie to take the leap off the edge of the cliff which Richie had brought them so near to.

 

Eddie took a deep breath in, trying to ignore how each and every nerve in his body was thrumming with the fire and electricity of what he was about to do.

 

"Let's talk," he said. "Let's talk about the way I get this tingly feeling every time you look at me and how I can't focus whenever you're around me." Richie's eyes widened a bit, leaning forwards ever so slightly, and Eddie began to regret his decision, but it was too late now, and the words kept spilling out of him despite his inner logic yelling at him to stop while he still had dignity. "Let's talk about how your eyes light up every time you tell one of your damn jokes and the way your nose crinkles up when you laugh. Let's talk about how you make me feel so special and how fucking perfect you are and how it's probably too soon to tell you this but I think I might love you and holy fucking shit why did I just say that oh my g-" Eddie's words had sped up even more, his breaths coming in uneven bursts as he saw Richie's eyes widen even more, lips falling open.

 

"I-" he looked amazed, and terrified, his eyes whirlpools of emotion. Shaking hands fidgeted with the hem of a shirt which was in surprisingly good quality, its design only the slightest bit faded in comparison to the collection of graphic tees in Richie's closet. "I think I love you, too? But I thought I loved my seventh grade english teacher, so I don't really know- except this is a lot stronger than that and my heart beats like 30 times faster when you're around and I can't focus on anything except your cute freckles and how sometimes little streaks of copper show up in your hair in the sun and the way you blush whenever I call you Eds and how I just want to kiss your adorable little nose."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 21st, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Teeth clenched in frustration, Eddie pushed himself a little further up onto the tips of his toes, his almond coloured eyes narrowing and causing little creases to engrave themselves between his furrowed eyebrows. Reaching a little bit higher, his fingers barely grazed the bottom of the shelf, his plain white t-shirt (which he had paired with a black letterman jacket) riding up the slightest bit over his stomach.

 

/For fucks sake/, he thought, fingers scrabbling across the edge of the soup can he was reaching for, /why did they have to put the chicken noodle soup so high up? It was a classic, it should be easy to get for everyone, not just 20 foot tall freaks of nature./

 

A scowl tugged down at Eddie's lips as he hopped pathetically like an aggravated bunny, his determination and frustration only growing as he more narrowly missed the can every time. As the last drops of Eddie's patience drained away from him, he leapt up one last time, missing the can yet again.

 

"Steady there, sweetheart." Eddie landed awkwardly, his balance precarious as he felt a body press up against his back, and the overwhelming scent of pine and cigarettes wash over him. His scowl only deepened as a hand found it's way to his waist, an arm reaching around him to grab the soup can that Eddie had been trying for right off the shelf.

 

The teen whipped around, gaze searing and brows furrowed, and angrily grabbed the can from Richie as he stepped away.

 

"What the /fuck/, Richard!" His voice was sharp, and full of annoyance as Eddie tried to ignore the pathetic fluttering of his heart at the sweet gesture. "I had that"

 

"Sure. You're welcome, babe." Richie's response was full of his ordinary cockiness, and paired with a crooked grin.With a scoff, Eddie turned to walk briskly away, dropping the can into his basket. He let his hips sway a little as he stalked away.

 

A soft little uttering of "/fuck it,/" came from behind Eddie, and the teen felt bony fingers wrap around his wrist, spinning him around.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Eddie took a stumbling step back, his back colliding with the shelves of groceries as Richie pressed into him. Ordinarily, the teen might've winced in pain, he might've leapt away, nose crinkling in annoyance as he fired a kick at the lowest shelf. But right now, he was too preoccupied to even notice anything besides Richie's lips against his own. The basket in Eddie's hands (which had been sanitised, and several times, mind you) dropped to the ground, forgotten the moment it slipped from his fingers as his hands rose to wrap around Richie's neck, pulling himself higher to gain leverage, leaning up onto his tiptoes to gain more access to the taller teen's mouth. Ordinarily, Eddie would've shied away from any form of public affection more than a quick kiss on the cheek or the subtle holding of a hand, but now, Eddie couldn't care less. For months, Eddie had longed to be this close to Richie. The lanky, loudmouthed teen had frolicked through his dreams, accompanied by suggestive comments, lingering touches, whispers of warm breath against Eddie's neck. Now, it was all real. Lips melded together, tongues grazing each other in electric touches. Bony hands found their way to either side of Eddie, pressing into the shelves as they formed a border around the youtuber as Richie pressed into him, their hips grazing together.

 

Of all places for their first kiss, Eddie never would've imagined a grocery store. The canned goods section of a grocery store, to be exact. He had pictured this moment countless times, sometimes in the starlit darkness of Richie's apartment balcony, the smell of cigarettes hanging in the air, sometimes in the cool, aesthetically pleasing haven of his own room, the gentle brushing of lips together. In his mind, the kiss had been gentle, Richie's lips had been mildly rough, his hands grazing across Eddie's jawline.

 

The real kiss was starved, the two pressed themselves together, hungrily reclaiming the touches that they had been deprived of for so long.

 

Three whole months of lingering gazes, electric touches, whispered comments and longing glances. When the two had chanced across each other at the grocery store (of all places), it had finally been too much. Richie looked /so/ good in his ripped skinny jeans, his worn Kiss t-shirt, and frizzy, wet looking curls that hung over the rim of his yellow glasses, dancing in front of his magnified brown eyes. Eddie felt something stir deep inside him, his eyes glued to the lanky teen, pulled automatically to him like he was the sun, and Eddie revolved around him, pulled by his gravity into a cycle he was unable to pull away from. But the only problem with this cycle, Eddie thought, was that the Earth was 94,490,000 miles from the sun. Now, that distance had finally been breached, the heat was undeniable. Eddie was burning alive in Richie's arms, and he was loving it.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 24th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Was Eddie rushed? Yes. Was he overwhelmed? Absolutely. Was he late in posting his weekly video? Unfortunately so. It was Thursday, and the teen's marvellous planning skills had led him to this moment, in which he was absolutely stressed and frenzied, and without a video, or even the smallest scrap of content to post. But Eddie was determined to stay on schedule, even if it forced him to talk to the largest pain-in-the-ass of the century, one who Eddie was kind of sort of avoiding after their kiss, but not really, it just seemed kind of like the universe had aligned to keep them apart, so they hadn't been able to meet since Monday, which had left them both without closure and amazingly awkward around each other, since both refused to have any serious conversations over text.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

The phone rang two times before Richie picked up, his soft little grunt echoing through the line.

 

"Hello?" The teens voice was rough with sleep, and definitely didn't do things to Eddie. The youtuber cleared his throat, somewhat surprised at the unusually usual greeting.

 

"Um, hi. Do you want to come over? Because I kindofforgottogetanyfootageandIreallyneedtoposttodayandIknowyoumighthatemebutmyfollowersloveyousocanyoucomeoversoonplease?" Eddie's words were rushed, and he waited with baited breath for Richie's response.

 

The line was quiet for a few moments.

 

"I could never hate you, darling." Richie's voice was soft. "I'll be over in a few." Eddie smiled.

 

"Thanks. I lo- I'll be here." The line disconnected, and Eddie let his phone slip from his hand and onto his bed. With a quiet sigh, he let his words fall upon the empty room. "I love you."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Raindrops fell against the window, leaving gleaming tracks as they slid down the glass, distorting the world outside Eddie's apartment. Above the LA skyline, clouds had gathered, letting only the occasional glimmer of light down to the bustling ground. Agitatedly, Eddie paced back and forth in his apartment, camera in hand. On any other day, Bill would've grabbed the youtuber by his shoulders and forced him into a chair with a cup of tea, but he was at work, so Eddie was left to pace on his own without restraint.

 

In the end, it was Richie, the source of Eddie's anxiety, who got him to finally stand still, by knocking loudly against the door.

 

It took only a matter of seconds before Eddie wrenched open the door, letting his gaze fall upon the teen outside his apartment. Today, he was wearing a surprisingly tolerable mix-mash of a sky-blue flannel over a deep purple shirt with Freddie Mercury on it. Eddie smiled, and stepped out of the doorway.

 

"Come in." Richie came in.

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"What the fuck!" Eddie's shriek filled the small apartment, bouncing off the rich walls and echoing against the spotless crystal of his windows. "I'm not gonna-" he sputtered, "you can't dare me to kiss you! That's against the rules!"

 

"There are no rules." Richie met him with a grin which he decided not to return, mostly because he knew he was right.

 

Doing an excellent job of ignoring how his nerves had all seemed to come to life at once, he leaned towards Richie, passing his sigh off as a huff of reluctance.

 

"This isn't fucking fair. This was supposed to be a game of truth or dare, not gay chicken." The curses slipped past his lips easily, and without notice, the camera filming them long forgotten. His voice was hushed, their proximity draining the intoxicating cheerfulness that had hovered around them before, leaving only a raw, charged quiet. Eddie leaned in a little more, only a little bit away from Richie, who levelled him with an expectant stare.

 

It was unclear who closed the distance, but once they did, it didn't really matter anymore. Eyes flicked shut, blotting out the world, and leaving just these two boys, pressed together in darkness.

 

The kiss was awkward and short, and the boys pulled apart quickly, eyes flashing open. When Eddie met Richie's eyes, his gaze was meaningful. /We'll talk apart this later./

 

And that was that. Eddie licked his lips.

 

"Well then. Truth or dare."

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"Aaaaand... posted! The video is up!" Richie and Eddie shared a crisp high five from where they sat on the floor, Eddie's carpet surely going to leave little red marks all over their legs when they stood.

 

"See, that wasn't so bad. You posted on time, and you got to lay one on these beauties." Riche smacked his lips, his eyelashes fluttering flirtatiously. A blush crept across Eddie's cheeks.

 

"Yeah, about that..." Richie paled slightly, alarm apparent in his features, and Eddie scrambled for words that would make that expression go away. "No, no. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise. It was- it was nice." A soft sigh of relief came from Richie, and he relaxed slightly. "I um... I was wondering if we could continue it. Like- not on camera." As he saw a shit-eating grin spread across Richie's face, he knew he was setting up a joke in his mind.

 

"Not on camera? You mean you /don't/ want to make a sex tape?" Eddie let disgust creep across his face, trying to ignore the shiver that went through him at the thought of sex with Richie.

 

"Shut up, please."

 

"But I-mmph." His sentence came to a screeching halt as Eddie pressed their mouths together, whatever Richie was trying to say getting lost in the kiss. Eyes fell shut, and lips moved together, chasing each other. They only broke apart several seconds later when Jes came barreling between them, leaping into Eddie's lap tail thrashing excitedly, and began leaving wet little kisses on every bit of skin he could reach.

 

The two broke apart with matching grins, looking down at the excited puppy. They couldn't even be mad that he interrupted their kiss- he was just so damn cute.

 

"Hey, Jessie!" Eddie cooed, shooting a quick smile to Richie before looking back down to the dog. Letting his hands fall from Richie's face, he ruffled Jes's fur, scratching behind the dog's ears. "How're you? You're just so cute you lil beauty!" Jes pranced further into Eddie's lap, rearing up to lick at his face. Though he was focused on trying not to let Jes lick his mouth, Eddie could feel Richie's gaze on him, and it only made him smile more. Glancing up, he met his eyes.

 

"You're cute." Richie said, and he knew he wasn't talking to Jes. He blushed.

 

"I'm not cute. I could destroy you."

 

"Cute, cute, cute," he clucked, a devilish grin making his eyes glimmer. Eddie fixed him with a glare, trying his best to make his eyes radiate hatred, his slim fingers curled into Jes's fur, who had made himself comfortable in Eddie's lap. Baring his teeth, Eddie growled, trying his best to look menacing.

 

"Fear me," he hissed.

 

"Aww... you're adorable."

 

"You're dead, Tozier." After shooting glare at Richie, he looked down, gently picking up Jes, then setting him aside, where he happily wandered off. Then, he looked back up, meeting Richie's soft expression, and struck. Eddie leapt forwards, tackling Richie, and both boys fell back, Richie pinned beneath him. Richie squirmed a bit, delighted, then managed to flip himself over, so then, Eddie was pinned beneath him. Eddie narrowed hiseyes, thrashing furiously. He smacked at Richie, trying to push him off, but to no avail. After a few more smacks, Richie grabbed his hands, pinning them to the ground with ease. Thrashing, he tried his best to kick at the lanky teen, until Richie shifted so his legs were pinned as well, looking amused. "Ok, stop. You have an unfair advantage. I could end you if you weren't an abnormally tall slab of idiot."

 

"Sure." Richie almost looked serious, but his eyes gave him away, glittering behind his slipping glasses. Eddie tipped his head up to push the glasses back into their place with his nose, only then realising how close their faces, and their bodies were together. Letting out a shaky breath, he let his head fall back, meeting Richie's eyes.

 

"I- I'm telling you..." Eddie hated how his voice trembled. "You just have an unfair..." his eyes flicked to Richie's lips, and he swallowed quietly. "an unfair advantage..." Meeting Richie's eyes again, he saw how dark they had become, and it only took a moment before their lips came crashing together. His eyes fell shut, Richie's glasses pressing awkwardly against his nose, and he knew that not even Jes could separate them now.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 25th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

Eddie was sitting in a field, gentle wind blowing through his hair. It was warm, and tranquil, dreamlike. When he turned his head, he saw that Richie was there too, his brown eyes capturing the sky in them. Sunlight danced across his freckles, casting shadows beneath his cheekbones. They shared a smile, then Eddie looked back to the skyline.

 

"-shit, shit shit shit shit shit shit shit, shit shit motherfucker I'm late... fucking motherfucker."

 

Something was wrong. Eddie looked around, Richie's voice echoing in his ears. Beside him, Richie was gone. "Sorry babe- eds. I mean. I gotta go. I promise I'm not running away..." Eddie blinked a few times, slowly waking up.

 

"Wh- what?" Groggy, he opened his eyes.

 

"I gotta go to work, Eds. I'm already late." Eddie blinked a few times, the fog fading from his mind, and he reached towards Richie, pawing at his sleeve.

 

"Who needs work... stay with me," he whined, shifting beneath the blankets on his bed, and Richie looked down at him with a wistful expression.

 

"I wish I could, darling." He leaned down, pressing a kiss to Eddie's forehead. "You could... come to work with me, though?" At those words, all of Eddie's sleepiness drained from him as if by a switch. Suddenly full of energy, he pushed himself out of bed, flinging off the covers, only to realise, to his mortification, that he was naked. Red-faced, he looked to the ground, rushing over

to his closet.

 

"Just a sec... I uh- need to get ready." He glanced back to Richie, whose lips were parted slightly, and his cheeks flushed. After a moment, he nodded, his eyes still glued to Eddie's form.

 

"Or you could go like that..." His voice was deep and effected, and Eddie felt something stir in him, cheeks reddening even more. Without bothering to respond to Richie, he grabbed some briefs, and pulled them on, avoiding Richie's gaze. Wetting his lips, he picked through his closet, eventually choosing a sky blue button down. Eddie slipped it on, biting his lip in concentration as he buttoned it. Two buttons in, another pair of hands joined his, buttoning a third button. Eddie glanced up, a question in his eyes, to which Richie shrugged. "I'm gonna be even more late if you don't hurry." With two sets of hands, it took only a few moments to button the shirt, though the charged pauses whenever their hands brushed did slow them down a bit. Once it was buttoned, Eddie turned to grab a pair of black skinny jeans, which he pulled up, jumping a little to help them on. Richie's hands grazed against his ass, squeezing lightly before he tugged at the waistband a bit. When Eddie looked up at him, cheeks red, he grinned. "Just helping out." Richie shot a wink at him.

 

"Th-thanks." Eddie swallowed tersely, trying to compose himself. Richie seemed to sense his situation, his grin widening.

 

"C'mon, let's brush those teeth so you'll let me kiss you."' Letting his hands slip back to Eddie's ass, he guided them to the bathroom, his breath on Eddie's neck making him shiver. Once they made it into the bathroom, Richie's lips found their way to his neck, and they locked eyes in the spotless mirror. Richie smirked a little as Eddie unconsciously tipped his head a bit to allow him better access to his neck, eyelids fluttering slightly. Swallowing quietly, he reached for his toothbrush, trying his best to ignore Richie, even as he sucked at his neck, lips moving against his skin with thrilling expertise, his hands closing around Eddie's hips. Gritting his teeth, Eddie squirted some toothpaste onto his toothbrush, then made quick work of running it under the water. Meeting Richie's eyes again, he began brushing his teeth, being sure to hollow his cheeks as he did so, deciding that two people could play at his game. Richie's eyes darkened ever so slightly, his hands tightening around Eddie's hips. Letting a soft moan past his lips, Eddie tipped his head back a little, still brushing his teeth, moving his toothbrush back and forth suggestively. With a soft huff, Richie let his teeth graze Eddie's neck in retaliation, nipping at his skin. Leaning forwards, he spat into the sink, then rinsed off his toothbrush, and leaned under the water to wash out his mouth, Richie's lips gone from his neck, but his hands still in place. With a grin, Eddie shut off the water, still bent over as he pushed his ass back against Richie's crotch, watching in amusement and Richie's head fell back, his eyes flittering shut for just a second. Straightening up, he looked away from Richie, running a hand through his chestnut coloured curls, smoothing them into submission. Then, he slipped out of Richie's hands, and walked out to the living room, being sure to add an extra sway to his hips.

 

At the dining table sat Bill, a spoonful of cereal halfway to his mouth and eyebrows high.

 

"M-morning Eddie, sleep well?" A light smirk tugged at his lips as he saw Richie enter the room, and Eddie blushed.

 

"Like a rock, Bill," he deadpanned. Beside him, Richie waved cheerfully.

 

"Heya, big Bill!" He grinned. "Though, if we're really going by size, Eds should be the one called Big. Whadd'ya think, Enormous Eds?" Bill choked on his bite of cereal, both his and Eddie's faces reddening. Shooting a sharp kick to Richie's shin, Eddie looked apologetically at Bill, who stared at him with wide eyes as if to say /really? you're dating that?/, to which Eddie just shrugged.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"Trashmouth Tozier, signing on! Sorry for the late arrival, guys, but I had something more important to do. Or /someone/ more important to do, I might say. And he's right next to me! Care to say something for the fans, babe?"

 

Eddie looked up at him, meeting one smile with another.

 

"Remind me again why I'm here?"

 

"Because you asked me to stay with youuu, but I had to go to work so we compromised," Richie beamed. "And, when I offered that you come with me, you got out of bed quite fast, I might add. I remember those minutes quite well." His grin was contagious, and Eddie felt his cheeks heating up.

 

"Well. I'm glad you liked the view."

 

"Oh, yes. It'll stay in my hall of favourite memories forever, alongside with last night." He winked, and Eddie glanced away, clearing his throat.

 

"Rich, we're on the radio right now... watch it."

 

"And we were on camera yesterday, bou." Eddie felt a mortified expression slip across his face.

 

Ok, no. That's not what it sounds like," he scrambled, addressing the microphone now. "We- I uh... um. Well. I have a youtube channel. we were making a video, and he dared me to kiss him on camera. That's it."

 

"That's right, it wasn't a sex tape. My dear Spaghetti man very explicitly told me that he wouldn't do that. But it was a good video. Y'all should check it out, at," Richie shot a glance at Eddie, asking for permission to share his identity. Eddie nodded. "at Eddiek, on youtube, put a cute face to his adorable voice."

 

"Not cute." Eddie frowned.

 

"Ooh, let's have this argument again, maybe it'll end like it did last time." Eddie shut his mouth with a click, cheeks flaming. "Awwww, he's blushing! I wish you guys could see this, he's so cute!" With a huff, he frowned at Richie, eyes narrowed.

 

"I am not cute. And it's not going to end like last time, because you has an unfair advantage then." Richie raised an eyebrow.

 

"Am I suddenly short and not incredibly hot?" Eddie sputtered.

 

"N- ok stop twisting my words."

 

"Seriously, what do I not have today that I had yesterday? Has my sex appeal gone down? Because that's not what you were saying this morn-mmph." Smacking a hand over Richie's mouth, Eddie stepped closer to the taller teen, eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

"Not," he whispered, just loud enough for the microphone to pick up, "another word, babe." With a meaningful glare, he lowered his hand, still very close to him. Richie looked up at him, eyes wide with admiration.

 

"Oh my gosh you're so fucking hot right now." He licked his lips, glancing to the radio. "Ok, quick song break... should take... a bit. Bye." Richie pressed a button, then turned his gaze to Eddie, his eyes dark. With a soft growl, he stood, then pushed Eddie backwards until he was pressed against the wall, Richie's hands on either side of him. "You sexy asshole." His voice was low and rough, and Eddie felt his knees weaken before Richie leaned in, their lips connecting.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"We're back, guys." Richie adjusted his glasses, a dopey grin on his face. "And... uh... the argument ended exactly like it did last time." He glanced at Eddie, eyes sparkling. "Is being called cute just a turn on for you?" Eddie scowled, eyes raking over Richie's form, and how his ratty t-shirt clung to his chest, still damp with sweat.

 

"No."

 

"Hmm. Sure. If that's what butters your toast."

 

"It-" Eddie blinked, shaking shaking his head in confusion. "What?"

 

"If that's what butters your toast, Eds. It's a common phrase."

 

"No, it's n- please never say that again."

 

"Sure, if that's what juicies your fruit." He groaned.

 

"Richie."

 

"Eddie?"

 

"Stop." Pouting, Richie tilted his head slightly.

 

"Sorry, baby."

 

"Thanks." Richie leapt forwards, wrapping his noodle arms around Eddie, peppering his face with kisses.

 

"I'm so sorry baby... will you ever forgive me?"

 

"Oh my gosh," Eddie laughed, turning his face a little to press a few kisses to Richie lips. "I love you. Of course I'll-" He blinked, pausing. Richie froze, lips pressed sloppily to his cheek, beforepulling back a bit to meet his eyes.

 

"You- you love me?" His voice was shaky, unbelieving.

 

"I... yeah." Eddie shifted nervously in Richie's arms. Silence filled the room, deafening. For a few beats, Richie simply sat in the shocked quiet, eyes huge behind his glasses. "But- you don't have to say it back. I- it slipped. I'm sorry... I shouldn't've-" his voice faded out, eyes falling downwards.

 

"Hey..." Richie moved one of his arms from Eddie's back, using it to gently push his chin up, making them eye to eye. Slowly, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Eddie's lips before pulling away. "I love you, too." Eddie let a sigh of relief slip past his lips, and let his head fall to rest on Richie's shoulder. Wrapping his arms back around Eddie's form, Richie pulled him close. "Fuck,

I've loved you for so long. Like- forever." Smile gracing his lips, Eddie nestled closer to him, breathing in his scent.

 

"Forever's a long time, Rich."

 

"Wish it was longer, kitten." Eddie felt his smile widen, and he sat up a little, meeting Richie's eyes. Leaning in, he felt their noses brush.

 

"I love you," he whispered, tipping his chin up to press their lips together.

 

There was a knock on the door, then it opened.

 

"Uhh...you guys know you're broadcasting, right?" A teen stood in the doorway, looking incredibly awkward as he shifted from one foot to the other. Eddie blushed, pulling away.

 

"Frankly, I forgot. Thanks." The teen nodded, then closed the door. Looking back up to Richie, who had been staring dreamily at Eddie, he smiled.

 

"Hey."

 

"Hey."

 

"We're on the radio."

 

"You ok with that Eds?"

 

"I- yeah. Somehow." Richie smiled, then looked to the microphone.

 

"Uh... ok, folks. Sorry 'bout that brief little thing. I got a bit distracted by my sexy little Eds here." Eddie blushed, playing with the hem of Richie's shirt. "I'm sure y'all understand." He blinked, his gaze returning to Eddie. lI uh- apologise if I seem a bit distracted, I kinda just heard the best news in my life so I'm kinda on cloud nine right now." He smiled at Eddie. "Fuck, Eds. They're probably not gonna let you come here anymore."

 

"I hope not... I'd miss you."

 

"I'd miss you, too." Looking back to the microphone, Richie wet his lips. "Hey, if the producers are listening, which I'm sure you guys are, you've gotta let Eddie stay. I promise he's not a distraction." Eddie rolled his eyes. "Ok, he's not that much of a distraction." Eddie didn't even need to scoff before Richie changed his answer again. "Ok he is a distraction but I love him please don't make him leave." Eddie nodded wholeheartedly. "Eddie just nodded by the way. He agrees."Eddie cleared his throat, leaning towards the microphone.

 

"Yes. I agree." Suppressing a giggle, Richie looked fondly at him.

 

"Fuck, you're beautiful." Eddie smiled over at him, warmth spreading through him like sunlight in his veins.

 

"There's no possible way I'm as beautiful as you."

 

"Trust me. You're impossibly beautiful." Eddie cooed, eyelashes fluttering.

 

"Song break?" He glanced at the flashing light that showed they were on air.

 

"Yeah." Richie pressed the button.

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

May 27th, 2018

 

 

\--------------------------------

 

 

"G'day, mate." Richie's bright voice rang through the garage, barely audible over the noises of machinery and tinkering. Eddie felt a smile grace his lips, focused on the car that he was working on but still listening to his boyfriend.

 

"Hey, Richie. Eddie's in the back," came the response from Alyx, a teen who worked at the garage with Eddie and Bill's dad.

 

Eddie had worked at the garage for several months now, helping Bill's dad out when he could fpr some spare cash. It wasn't a job he'd imagined taking on, seeming far too dirty and physical for someone like him, but Eddie loved it. To him, cars just made sense. He loved the smell of oil and he loved tinkering for hours on a car, searching for the perfect thing that would fix it. When Bill's dad had offered him a job at his car shop, Eddie had taken it without a second thought. So, here he was, grease tinging his hands black, and smudged over his forehead, bent over the open hood of a rusty old truck, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to keep them clean, since he'd quickly learned that grease and oil were a pain in the ass to get out of clothes. Humming quietly to the song that filtered through the speakers overhead, Eddie grabbed a wrench, tightening a few washers as he heard Richie come up behind him, bony hands finding his hips, and squeezing gently.

 

"Good morning, beautiful." Eddie smiled, setting the wrench aside as he turned,

coming face to face with Richie.

 

"Hey." With a gentle coo, Richie reached up, gently brushing a smudge of grease from Eddie's forehead with his thumb, his hand lingering on his face for a few moments before dropping to his side.

 

"You look wonderful today, babe."

 

"Thanks, Rich." Eddie leaned up onto his tiptoes, pressing a gentle kiss to Richie's lips, savouring the taste of cinnamon before pulling away, and settling back onto his heels. Richie's eyes flicked open just as soon as they'd shut, chasing Eddie's lips before leaning back.

 

"I brought you this." He grinned, reaching into the pocket of his yellow flannel to pull out a crumpled drawing of a border-collie, which vaguely resembled Jes, sketched onto a napkin. "I found it. It reminded me of you." Eddie had to smile at the sweet gesture, looking up to meet Richie's eyes, which he swore held literal sunbeams in them, they were always sparkling with happiness or mischief, or in this case, love. Reaching up, he took the napkin, pressing it close to his chest to show his happiness, his fingers leaving smudges of grease on the fabric.

 

"Fuck, I love you."

 

"And I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i haven't updated in forever... but here y'all go. it's unetited so sue me I guess. feel free to say hi @ chemicalsandwords on tumblr! :) might add another chapter if i feel like it

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading! Plz leave comments and kudos, your guys' support means so much to me <3 <3
> 
> By the way, your guys' comments make my day. Why not work on your complimenting skills and leave something nice below?
> 
> You can check me out on tumblr, there are a few things that aren't on here there > https://www.tumblr.com/blog/weaslepig
> 
> \- also: the next chapter will be written from Eddie's perspective :) -
> 
> Originally, this had eleven seperate chapters, but then I decided to put them all into one, so yup


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